A Coffee Story
by Passionate Cec
Summary: As the title says, this is about coffee. We all know Gibbs loves it. What if Kate were present as well? These are some of the times Kate and Gibbs drank it together. How it goes and what happens. A series of one shots with one guide line : coffee.
1. Prologue

So, here is my next story. It's a little bit different from what I've posted up to now and I'm taking my chances with a multiple chapter story.

I had this idea while reading fairwinds09's really, really great story : Coffeeshop. I really advice it if you haven't read it yet. (Sorry for the previous confusion in authors and thanks to dg101 for mentionning the mistake.)

This is quite different though. It's more a series of random one shots which only have as a common point Kate, Gibbs and coffee - more or less present depending on the chapters - and their relationship evolving as time passes. So I suppose you could read each chapter on its own because there never is a reference to the previous ones.

The time line here has no reference at all to the series' so you can take it however you like. The only information you get will be some weather information every now and then.

This first chapter is very short and more like an introduction so I will most likely post the next one soon.

It would be really awesome if you reviewed and told me what you think. I have had very few reviews on my previous stories.

By the way, thanks again to dg101, pealee, shawdoo and meherm who have posted very nice feedbacks.

I noticed that I have quite a lot of visitors but only a few reviews. It really doesn't take long but it makes my day : I love to know what people think of my stories and my take on the characters and I would love to be able to discuss afterwards if you wish to. Anyway, pretty please, review ! =D

And on to the usual : **NCIS, Kate and Gibbs don't belong to me. I make no money at all with my stories. No copyright infringement intended.**

So, here goes. Enjoy.

**A Coffee Story**

Prologue

The first time he drank coffee with her, had been the day after he hired her, unofficially.

Caitlin Todd was yet to give him an answer. NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs had just entered his usual coffee shop when he saw her. Her back was to him, but he had spent quite some time admiring her, when she wasn't looking, during his last case, so he didn't have any difficulties recognizing her. Granted she was wearing jeans, sneakers and a casual black jacket but her body was still the same.

She had already asked for her drink and was waiting for it to be ready, and to pay. He made his way towards her, ignoring the annoyed looks the clients shot him. Just as the young waitress told her how much it cost and as she was pulling out some cash he laid two five dollar bills on the counter. Kate turned around, surprised.

'Special Agent Gibbs.' She said, calmly, after recognizing him. 'What are you doing here?'

'Same thing as you it seems. I didn't know you got your coffee here. It's nowhere near where you live or worked.'

'Is that your way of reminding me that I quit my job and that I still haven't accepted your job offer?'

'Not necessarily.'

'Excuse me,' the waitress interrupted. 'Are you paying sir?'

'Yes. And add the strongest black coffee you have.' Turning back to Kate. 'You drinking your coffee here or are you going somewhere?'

'I was about to go to the park. Wanna join me?'

'Sure.'

He got his coffee and followed her outside to the afore mentioned park, his hand every now and then resting on the small of her back. They didn't say anything until they were seated on a bench, both sipping their coffees.

'So, what are you doing here?' He asked the question again.

'I used to live around here and used to go to this coffee shop all the time. When I moved I just couldn't do without their coffee. So I still come here when I have enough time to do so. And you, do you come here often?'

'If you only knew.' She smiled.

'Caffeine addict?'

'Oh yes!' He laughed. She joined him, shaking her head.

They kept on talking like that for about half an hour, time at which Gibbs had to leave to be on time at work, his early arrival having been disrupted by the beautiful brunette. He was walking away from her when he heard her.

'Gibbs?' She called

'Yes?'

'When do you need me to start working?' She asked, smiling mischievously, he smiled back.

'Tomorrow if you want, Special Agent Caitlin Todd. 0900 if we don't have a case.'

'I'll be there.'

'I'm glad.' He answered truthfully.


	2. Of Sick Ladies and Healing Touches

Here is the first real chapter. Coffee doesn't actually make that big of an appearance but this chapter has changed quite a bit since I first wrote it. Anyway, I hope you still like it.

Don't forget to tell me what you think. I always love reviews and am always super happy to see I have some.

Of Sick Ladies and Healing Touches

The second time was when she had a bad case of the flu.

Kate had come into work at the same time as usual – half an hour early – but she didn't look anywhere near her usual self. She was walking slowly, her eyes were teary and red, the rest of her face was paler than death, he could see from his desk that she was shivering and that she wasn't feeling well. As soon as she arrived at her desk, she sat down groaning slightly. She leaned her elbows on her desk and put her head on her hands, trying to hide the fact that she was massaging her temples in an attempt to dissipate the excruciating pain that was preventing her from thinking clearly. She didn't notice her boss standing up and walking towards her. She jumped and winced when he said her name in, what she considered, a much too loud way. She looked up wincing again from the bright light and pain in her back, neck and head.

'Kate, what are you doing here?'

'Working.' She simply said. He could hear how much her throat hurt, just by the way her voice sounded.

'Nope, you're not working. You're not even close to being able to work in your condition. Why didn't you call in?' He asked softly, in a voice he didn't recognize himself.

'I'm fine. Not going to let a little cold prevent me from doing my job properly.'

'A cold. Right. Come on, Kate, I'm driving you home.' He stated, already moving towards her.

He was even more worried when he could feel the heat emanating from her without even touching her. She considered arguing, but she really didn't feel good enough and just wanted to be somewhere dark, quiet, warm, comfy and sleep. She stood up slowly, her back hurting at the slightest movement. She swayed lightly, the room starting to fade to black, but before her legs gave away, Gibbs held onto both her arms and she leaned into him, laying her head on his chest and closing her eyes.

'Now don't you go anywhere. You're clearly way too sick to do anything besides sleep. Can you walk or do I have to carry you?'

'I can walk; just give the room some time to settle down.'

She opened her eyes and confident she wouldn't feel dizzy again moved away from Gibbs, though he kept his arm around her waist – when it had arrived there, she wasn't sure, but she was past caring. She took her purse and they started to move. In the elevator, she felt dizzy once more and laid her head back on her boss' chest who guided her to the car while she barely opened her eyes. The drive was mostly silent, until her eyes closed and she fell asleep. He stopped the car and she heard his door open and close softly – apparently he knew her head hurt a lot.

She waited until he helped her out of the car and led her to the entrance of her building, opened the door, took the elevator to the sixth floor, and opened the door to her apartment. She indicated where her bedroom was and let him lead her there. Barely thinking, she dropped on the bed and fell asleep almost instantly. Gibbs started taking off her shoes, her jacket, wincing when she groaned, and tried to get her under the blankets as softly as possible. She would wake up and get comfortable – on her own or with his help – soon enough. He made sure she was sleeping and went to the living room, where he sat down on her couch and simply looked around.

He couldn't sure, but about an hour and a half must have passed, until he heard soft and slow footsteps come down the hallway. He looked up to see Kate leaning against the door frame, paler than he had ever seen her, and looking like she could pass out any second. He noticed she had changed and was wearing light pink sweatpants, a matching sweater – with a t-shirt poking out at the waist line, a big white wool scarf and warm socks.

'Hey. Did you get any sleep?' He asked softly.

'A bit.'

'Cold?'

'Freezing. I can't seem to get warm.'

'You probably have a fever. Come here.' He instructed, holding out his hand. She slowly walked to the couch and sat down next to him. He brought his hand up to her forehead and winced. 'You're definitely sick. You're burning up. You shouldn't cover yourself up so much, it's keeping the fever up.' Barely listening, she leaned against him, her head on his shoulder, her legs up against her chest, her eyes closed.

'I'm feeling so bad. Haven't been this sick in a long time.' He put his arms around her frail form.

'Headache?' She nodded. 'Cramps?' Again. 'Tired?'

'Nope. Could run a marathon.' She said, her voice full of sarcasm. He chuckled.

'Fever, we checked. Nauseous?'

'A bit.'

'Still dizzy?' Nod. 'When's the last time you ate?'

'Yesterday morning. Been feeling a bit woozy since. And this morning I didn't want to take any risks.'

'Well, my dear Special Agent Caitlin Todd, I'd say it's pretty safe to say you have the flu.'

'Oh, good!' She simply snuggled even further into her boss, not realizing it could seem odd, but that he didn't mind in the least.

'Yeah. Got tea or some of that healthy, green, herbal crap around? We need to keep you hydrated.'

'Kitchen. You gonna babysit all day?'

'Yep. Stay put, I'll get you something ready. Got coffee?' She smiled and nodded, letting him stand up then lying down.

He spent the rest of the day with her, checking her fever every now and then, massaging her back and her neck which, he knew, were killing her, letting her head rest on his lap while she slept, her body shivering, fighting off the offending bug while his fingers stroked her hair and her burning forehead. Most importantly, he made her drink a whole lot of tea. He knew coffee would just hurt her stomach and most likely make her throw up, so he didn't even suggest it, though he drank a lot of it, while she sipped the hot soothing tea. He ate when she slept so as not to make her more nauseous than she already was. When he noticed it was 8 p.m and that Kate had been asleep for a while, tossing and turning, groaning, wincing and whimpering regularly, he decided he should put her to bed and stay for the night. She shouldn't be on her own in case she felt worse he reasoned but all in all he knew he really just wanted to make sure she was alright and wanted her to know she could feel safe with him.

On the second day he was about to keep her company again but was called in around 10 a.m. He left her on her couch, watching unseeing some show he didn't understand. He kissed her on the forehead and stroked her arm once, telling her he would come check on her later.

And that's how it kept on for four more days. He would come check on her at night, keep her company, sleep on her couch and leave her in the morning.

In a way, he was almost sad when she was able to come back to work.


	3. Of Back Rubs and Workaholics

So, here's the next chapter. It's a bit different from the two previous ones but I hope you still like it. =)

Don't forget to review and tell me what you think. I love to read your opinion on my work. Thanks again to all of those who have left great reviews and make my day when I read their reviews.

Of Back Rubs and Workaholics

The ninth time they were working late.

Kate was still reading the same page over and over again when Gibbs came back from his coffee hunt. To her great delight, he carried two cups, one he was already sipping from, the other one he handed her when he reached her desk.

'You look like you're going to need it. Anything?'

She shook her head as she drank her slightly too strong coffee, though he had added her regular milk and sweetener. She knew he was trying to get her to take less of it and drink her coffee dark, the way he did, and she had to admit it worked as she got used to the stronger taste. Didn't mean she didn't drink her coffee with her usual doses of milk and sweetener whenever she was on her own.

'No. This is really irritating. I know there's something on this exact page, I just can't seem to find it. I've been reading it over and over, analyzing every single fact and I can't find what is wrong with it. Yet I know there **is** something.' She took a deep breath trying to calm herself.

'Alright. Let me take a look, maybe if we do this together it will work.' He moved behind her and looked at the screen, watching as Kate scrolled the document to the very first page. He put his hands on her shoulders as he started to read but stopped as soon as he felt her tight muscles. 'You're tense.'

'I'm frustrated.' She sighed as he started massaging her shoulders, and groaned when he reached a particularly painful spot.

'Oh God! Don't stop that.'

'Wasn't planning on stopping. So, feel good?' He asked, smirking.

'Oh yeah! And you don't need to be smug; you know I love your massages.' She sighed again and smiled when he caressed the back of her neck, staying there for a few moments, then moving back down to her spine.

'Take a break, finish your coffee, we'll start again after.'

Gibbs continued to massage Kate's back and shoulders while she sipped her coffee, sighing and moaning every now and then, letting her boss know exactly where he should go and what effect it had on her. Them enjoying each other's company like that, alone in the big building was not exactly a rare occurrence but he was still just discovering what made her tick. It had been a while since they had had a case that kept them here while Tony could enjoy a date of some kind. During the last month and a half, all their cases had been hard and exhausting. He knew Kate was tiring, but he hadn't realized she was stressed to the point of having constantly tense muscles. Her back had to kill her and he knew that any fall or bad move could end with her pulling a muscle. He was happy he could help her feel better, while touching her; which was always a positive point. He startled when he heard her voice break the comfortable silence.

'What does it say about us, that we are here, at the office at- 2350, working on a case? Well originally working on a case, now really just enjoying coffee and the company.'

'That we like coffee and the company.' She laughed and he joined her. 'I guess that we're both lonely and we'd rather be here with someone else than home alone. No harm in sharing the loneliness.'

'I guess. But we've gone out before. After work I mean. And it was just as nice. Why are we here, at the office, when we could be anywhere? My place, your place, coffee shop, restaurant, park. Anyway, you know what I mean.'

'We're dedicated.' He said simply resting his hands on her shoulders, playing with the strands of her hair that were sticking out of her loose ponytail.

'No. We're workaholics.'

'At least, there's two of us, doesn't feel as bad when you can share. Feeling better?'

'Yes, thank you.' Kate looked back over her shoulder and smiled brightly at him, leaning her chin on the hand still lightly resting on her shoulder.

'My pleasure. Alright, let's try and find what has been bugging you.'

She turned back to her computer and felt Gibbs lean over her to look at the screen. They reread the file together, going over the facts, trying to find something unusual. They always worked better together when on their own. Soon, they found what they were looking for and took great pleasure in arresting the culprit, enjoying the decrepit look on Tony's face when he realized, in the morning, he had missed all the fun and was left with paperwork.


	4. Of Lasagna and Brownie Points

Here's the next chapter. This is actually my newest piece which I added because I like the nice and easy friendship (and the flirting =D) between Kate and Gibbs and wanted to keep it this way a little bit longer before getting to the inevitable we are all waiting for…

Abby and Tony appear in this one (McGee is not there yet, this would be too early in the series) and I hope they are in character or not too OOC. If you think I should change something, just let me know and I'll do as much as I can.

Also, redsneakers had a wish and expressed it. (I'll see how I'll write that one and where I'll put it in the story. =P) Feel free to do as much if you would like me to write something specific. Just leave a little review telling what you'd like to read and I'll see what I can do.

I have some pretty big exams coming up; the first one is on Tuesday and the rest in about 10 days so this will probably be the last chapter I post for a little while. But I'll be back as soon as they're done (If I survived them...).

Anyway, as usual, don't forget to tell me what you think. I've loved all the comments I've received up to now and would love to get even more feedback.

And now, on with the story. Enjoy.

P.S : 'Jennifer' is not a reference to anyone, it's only the first name which crossed my mind while I was writing this. ^^

Of Lasagna and Brownie Points

The twelfth time they were busy working a case.

Gibbs walked into Abby's lab, two coffees and a Caf-Pow in hand. Tony was following him, frowning at the second cup of coffee he wasn't yet sipping from, noticing that his boss wasn't in enough of a bad mood to need two doses of caffeine. He watched as the agent moved behind Abby, who was sitting at her microscope, and set the Caf-Pow on the desk, then moved behind Kate who was standing in front of the plasma screen. As he was right behind her, his arm circled her and handed her the mysterious cup. Tony's eyes bugged out of their orbits as Kate looked over her shoulder and grinned.

'Thank you.' Kate mouthed before taking a sip of the coffee. She turned back to the screen but Gibbs didn't move from his spot mere inches behind her. He was tall enough to be able to look over her head so he didn't bother with moving and looked at the DNA testing that appeared on the screen. A red 'no match' sign was blinking over the DNA comparison.

'What did you find?' He asked, before taking a gulp of his drug.

'Dead guy is not Morrison. DNA does not match. He's still a John Doe and Morrison is still missing.'

'That's all?'

'Giiiibbs, you have to learn to be patient.'

'Abby!'

'John Doe was poisoned. I don't know how or with what yet, but it definitely seems like someone really hated him and seriously wanted him dead.'

'Well it worked. Alright, keep looking. Kate, you and I are going back to that apartment building. We're going to interrogate every single person who lives there. Someone must have seen something, I want to know who and what. DiNozzo, you're going to take a look at the security tapes from the last three days, see if there's anything suspicious. Someone walking in carrying a body would be good. Check the tape for the back alley as well.'

'Boss, come on, that's going to take forever. I have a date with Jennifer from the second floor tonight, you can't do that to me.' The Italian whined, promptly stopping at the glare Gibbs threw him. Kate was grinning again, this time with that mischievous glint he was always on the receiving end of. 'I'll cancel.'

'Yes, you will.'

Gibbs started moving towards the entrance of the lab he had come through just minutes earlier, settling a hand on the small of Kate's back and leading her out. Once in the elevator, he leaned against the back wall, mirroring Kate's position as Tony looked at them drinking their coffees. There was barely any space between them and the back of their hands were almost touching. They seemed at ease with each other, the closeness not bothering them in the least as they both enjoyed the hot beverages. What surprised Tony even more though was the fact that Kate hadn't grimaced upon tasting the coffee. Surely the boss wouldn't have brought her coffee the way she liked it; that would just be too ungibbsish.

'Boss, why did you buy Kate coffee?' He finally got the bravery to ask. Kate smiled and looked up at Gibbs whose face was still unreadable as ever.

'Since when do I have to justify my choices and actions to you, Special Agent DiNozzo?' Though the words sounded menacing and threatening, yet the tone indicated no such thing and the calmness that surrounded Gibbs seemed so unnatural that, once again, Tony frowned.

'You don't, boss. Just wondering.'

The silence that followed that statement was all the answer he needed to know that the short-lived conversation was over. The elevator doors opened on their floor and they exited the machine. Tony sat at his desk heavily, sighing at the prospect of spending the night watching security tapes. He couldn't even escape the task, knowing that Gibbs would want a full report in the morning. Kate and Gibbs gathered their things and walked back to the elevator. Kate, however couldn't pass on the opportunity to mock her colleague.

'Come on, Tony, smile. I'm sure there will be another blonde to seduce soon enough.' And with that she left, grinning. She joined Gibbs and in the same fashion as earlier leaned against the back wall, right next to him. She looked up at him once they were alone in the elevator. 'So, what's the coffee for?'

'Don't know. Felt like buying you some.' Kate smiled sweetly at him. 'And you did make a mean lasagna last night. I had to thank you one way or another.' She smiled wider.

'Well, that's a good enough way, I suppose. You even put milk and sweetener in it so that's a brownie point for you.'

'Ever baked a brownie?' He asked, a hopeful twinkle in his eyes.

'Yep.'

'Is it as good as your lasagna?' She was looking straight in front of her because she knew that she would just burst out laughing if she saw the look accompanying the growing hope in his voice.

'I've been told a couple of times that it was pretty good.'

'And since 'pretty good' is also how you described your lasagna I'm going to suppose it's absolutely amazing. Any chance I'll get to taste it?'

'Maybe.' She teased.

'Alright, what do I need to do?'

'I don't know. Earn more brownie points. You'll have to figure out how to do that for yourself.' She stated, leaving the elevator as the doors opened with perfect timing. Her hips were swaying just a tad bit more than usual, just enough to catch Gibbs's attention, leaving him stunned at the action, the words and the suggestive tone she had finished the sentence with. Or maybe it had just been wishful thinking from him. He shook his head and followed the woman right before the doors closed back on him.


	5. Of Nice, Cute and Lovely

Alright, I am basically done with my exams (just a couple more left on Monday and Tuesday but those are really easy) so I am not keeping you waiting any longer. I know I hate waiting for fanfictions to be updated so I suppose the same can be said for just about anyone.

This is actually a piece I wrote this afternoon and I really like it; I hope you share the same opinion. It's one of the longest one shots I've written, if not the longest one but that's mostly because I was really enjoying writing it and I had a bit of a hard time finding a way to finish it. The idea started with a chapter I started writing a while ago which I deleted because I really didn't like where it was going. The beginning is basically the same but it went wayyyyyy off-track. Never thought I would go there but well, I did and I like it. =)

One part is slightly inspired by a quote I read yesterday in a book, which unfortunately I have not been able to find on the internet and as I am unable to remember the name of the book... I saw it in a shop so if I go there again in the near future I'll look it up and tell you exactly what the quote is (or if someone knows and cares to share, it would be greatly appreciated.) Anyway, it's by Monica Belluci and the basic idea is it's a curse for stupid girls to be pretty but it's a gift for smart women.

Please, don't forget to let me know what you think, give me your opinion, ideas, thoughts... I love the reviews and I'm always wishing I'll get new ones!

So, here goes. Enjoy. =)

Of Nice, Cute and Lovely

The nineteenth time, they met in their usual Coffeeshop.

Gibbs walked into the almost empty place. It wasn't even 8 a.m on a Saturday morning; he shouldn't be surprised by the lack of the usual crowd which filled the little shop. He walked straight to the counter and ordered his coffee from a sleepy looking girl. While he waited he looked around and noticed, among the many early birds, the person he had been unconsciously looking for. He knew she usually slept longer than that so was surprised to see her sitting there, at a small round table, coffee standing on the only surface of the table which wasn't buried under a mountain of papers.

He grabbed his coffee, paid for it and walked to her. She was so concentrated on what she was writing that she didn't notice him coming up and slipping behind her. Finally he leaned down and kissed her cheek, smiling at her jump and shriek. Turning around, she looked somewhere between scared to death and ready to kill whomever had dared disturb her.

'Morning, Katie.' He simply said. She glared. 'How you doing?'

'Good. Until I almost had a heart attack.' He chuckled while grabbing the other chair at the table and sitting down.

'So, what are you doin' up this early?'

'Couldn't sleep anymore. And I had paperwork to do anyway. Thought it would be less depressing to do it here than at home. Figures I was wrong.'

'Thanks.'

'What?' Kate asked, confused.

'You'd rather be at home, than here with me?'

'You know that's not what I meant.' She stated pointedly, then reconsidered. 'Actually, now that I think about it-' She teased, grinning playfully at his mock glare. 'No seriously, do I look as depressive and suicidal as everybody else here? 'Cause that would just be, well, depressing.' Gibbs laughed again, looking around a bit and seeing her point.

'Nah, don't worry, you look great.' She smiled and picked up her pen, starting to write again, while taking a sip of her coffee.

'Ugh. So, um, what's all that paperwork? You're not that far behind; you never are.'

'I'm not, but you know we have to return the coworker appreciation thing – or whatever they're called – in a couple of weeks. So I'm doing those.'

'Ah, yeah! Hate those things.'

Gibbs drank some coffee to wash away the unpleasant thought of writing those. What did they want him to say? 'Nothing to complain about with Special Agent Caitlin Todd, great agent, good work, very nice to look at.' He stopped there; where had that thought come from? Oh well. 'While Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo could bear a good writing lesson and might want to learn how to be silent , he is a good agent as well, does the job, though the paperwork is usually late, but he's a good field agent.' That was about all he could – and would – write.

'So, what are you saying?' She looked up.

'You know I can't tell you.'

'Come on. I'll tell you what I'll write about you if you tell me what you write about me.'

'Now, now, Special Agent Gibbs, that sounds awfully like blackmail to me. Should I write that down?'

'Kate.'

'Yes?' She asked innocently, the look on her face matching the voice.

'Come on. You know I won't tell. I'm just curious. It's the federal agent in me; wants to know everything, very annoying.'

'Yeah right. Nope, not telling ya.'

'Katie.' She laughed.

'Are you begging me, Gibbs?' The teasing tone had come back in her voice and he mentally cursed himself for giving her material so easily. He should know better than to try that with her.

'Me? I don't beg, you should know that by now.'

'You sure? 'Cause it really, really sounds to me like you're begging. One can never be sure, though, right?'

'Well, I'm not begging.'

'Right. That would be just plain ridiculous, wouldn't it?'

He didn't like the way she sounded. That oh-so sweet voice. So sweet that it could only mean bad things. Women were sweet, but there was a point at which sweet became a synonym of words such as nasty, dangerous, vicious even. Overly sweet women were just way too beautiful and way too smart for any man to survive. They used their charms and they used their brains and they were as deadly as a Black Widow.

And at that moment that was exactly the kind of sweet his nice, cute, lovely Katie was. He was putty in her hands and there was nothing he could do about it, only hope that she would let him out alive. He really didn't like the thought of the power she had gained over him in just a few instants, even though he knew it was only for a few moments. In the back of his mind, he knew she was only teasing him and playing with him but would never actually hurt him. He knew she had just seen the opportunity and had gone for it. Yet, there was still very present, the thought that she had actually managed to find that power and if he didn't watch out, she would always have it. And that would just not work. He would consider that later; right then all he could do was 'play' along.

'Of course.'

'Well, that's good then. Because really, what would we do if the legendary Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs had been witnessed begging? You know that this kind of material would be really dangerous if it landed on the wrong hands, right? I mean, you've been seen actually saying 'please', I'm sure begging would just ruin your reputation and career.'

Her smile was so sweet he thought he had actually broken a tooth.

Yep, that's what way too sweet women did! They spun their web around your one mistake – being seduced by them most of the time – and made you understand that you were stuck and that there was no way they would let go of you. They'd watch you squirm, fight – and yes sometimes even beg, until they had had enough of the show and found the perfect opportunity to make their sweet and tasty evening meal of you.

Women were nasty. And obviously nice, cute, lovely Katie had it in her to be a nasty, seductive spider. But somehow that just made her even more beautiful and attractive to him. He probably was a bit of a masochist but well, what could he do? Women were beautiful and when they knew how to use that to their advantage men didn't stand a chance. Obviously, Katie Todd was one of those women. Not that he had ever doubted that, he had just never fallen victim to her vicious charms.

He startled as the objects of his thoughts slapped shut the form she had been filling. She started gathering all the papers which had been scattered over the small surface. Once they were all in the appropriate order, she put them all in her briefcase before downing the rest of her coffee. She pulled a face and he guessed the drink was cold. His was just barely mild warm and as she'd had hers longer, it would be even colder.

'Well, I'm done. I'm dropping this off in my car, and I'm going for a walk in the park. Wanna join me?'

Kate talked as if the last fifteen minutes hadn't happened; as if she hadn't turned into a vicious spider for ten of those fifteen minutes. She was back to being her usual self. Nice, cute, lovely Katie. But he was still wary. Better safe than sorry. And right now he was sorry enough not to risk anything more.

'Nah, I'm fine, thanks. You go ahead, I'll see you at the office on Monday if we don't have a case before that. Have a nice weekend.'

'You sure?' She asked as she stood up, holding her briefcase in one hand, her empty coffee cup in the other.

'Yep.'

'Alright.'

She smiled in a nice sweet way,which was what he was used to, and leaned down to kiss his cheek before walking away, hips swaying.

One of his hands moved to the back of his neck as he shook his head, closing his eyes, sighing and chuckling. The girl had him, whether using her vicious charms or just being her usual self. He had it bad, very bad, and he knew he was most likely in for a fall. But boy, would it be a sweet fall!


	6. Of Muffins and Preferences

So, here's another quite long chapter. And it's also another one which has changed quite a bit since I first wrote it. I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it but one thing is for sure : I like it better now than I did before rewriting, so that's actually a good point.

This is also probably the chapter we all wished had happened, so I'm letting you imagine what can possibly happen and hope I got it right.

Now, I have to make a decision : Microsoft Word says I'm past the 20 000 words mark for this story, which I think is very cool. Obviously I have a lot of chapters (about 20) and they keep coming, though it's getting harder and harder to find new things that I haven't dealt with yet. However I also have one shots, which are episode sequels. My goal is to have one for each episode and right now I have 7, with 2 which I will be writing soon.

My question to you is : which would you like next, the next chapter to this story or a one shot? And if so, maybe there is a specific episode to which you would like to see a sequel from me.

I meant to ask you the question in the last chapter but I forgot.

Anyway, let me know which you would like and I'll see which it will be.

And now, on to the interesting stuff.

And please, don't forget to give me your opinion on this chapter. It really helps me to know what you guys like to read and want to see. =)

Enjoy.

**Of Muffins and Preferences**

And then they lost count. But still remembered. Like the time Gibbs drank coffee with Kate because he had a specific idea about where he wanted to take things.

He had, a short time ago, admitted to himself that he liked her… a lot, and even though he knew he shouldn't try anything – there were the rules and he simply wasn't good enough for her – they had started spending more time together, getting to know each other, their friendship slowly and naturally, without either of them being able to stop anything, becoming something more.

They had shared a few coffees, meeting before work, sitting down in what they had come to call 'their' park, or at 'their' coffee shop when it was too cold, and simply enjoying the company.

They had started flirting more, when no one else was around, their voices were lower, meant for them only, becoming more meaningful.

The touches had become more frequent too : standing just a little too close to each other whenever possible, their hands, shoulders, legs just barely grazing. Her hands on his arms, his shoulders. His hands on her back, pushing a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. The massages late at night when they were the only ones left at the office, working on theories on their latest case. Him standing behind her, massaging her tense shoulders and neck while looking over some data they already knew by heart, or didn't know yet. Her standing behind him massaging his tense shoulders and neck reminding themselves the facts of the case. Sometimes he would lean his head back against her stomach and enjoy the vibrations he could feel when she talked softly. Somehow, they thought alike and they could think up theories from just hearing a few words from the other's lips.

There had been a few kisses too. On the cheek, the forehead, the temple. Nothing more daring, just the touch of the lips on the skin.

They had hugged a few times. When the case had been particularly hard on one of them. When one of them had been feeling down.

And as time passed, the hugs, just like the kisses lasted longer. Longer than really necessary. More longing. They had become more meaningful too. Every single touch giving away a hidden feeling, a secret emotion that they could not voice. His hand on the back of her neck, whenever he could, his thumb stroking the soft hair he found there. The way it would, after quite some time, move down her back, following her natural curves. Her hand on his chest, replacing his lapel or just enjoying the feeling, more and more frequently slipping under his jacket so she could feel his warmth, the softness of his shirts.

On that particular Sunday morning he had decided to do something about the obvious attraction between his young colleague and him. So, he had driven to her place, stopping for coffee on the way. A woman had left the building just as he arrived so he didn't even have to ring the bell from downstairs and simply knocked at the door to her apartment once he had reached the sixth floor. She opened the door with a surprised, confused and slightly worried look on her face.

'Gibbs? What's going on?' She asked, still leaning against the door.

He could see she was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a partially open sweatshirt allowing him to see the white shirt she was wearing beneath it. She wasn't wearing any makeup and her hair still looked a bit tousled. To him she looked as gorgeous as any other day at work when she came in with perfect hair and makeup, wearing very professional and elegant clothes that hugged her form and showed how beautiful her body was.

'Can I come in?' He immediately asked. 'I've got coffee.' He added, showing the peace offering. She smiled.

'Of course you do. Come on in then.'

She opened the door wider, letting him enter. He had already seen her place a couple of times and each time she had told him to just make himself at home. So he followed her advice and went to the living room, setting the two cups on the coffee table and getting rid of his jacket and shoes. He sat down on the couch and was promptly joined by Kate. She sat down next to him, close enough that her knee was actually touching his thigh when she folded her legs under her. She turned to face him fully, accepting the cup he handed her.

'So, what brings you here on this fine morning?' She asked.

'I just wanted to see you.' He said simply and matter-of-factly as if it were a daily occurrence for a man to drop by his female employee's place on a Sunday morning just because he wanted to see her. The strangeness of the situation was not lost on her, though she considered Gibbs as a friend so it didn't actually bother her that much to see him. She was more surprised by the fact that this was Leroy Jethro Gibbs acting that way.

'Okaay. Any particular reason you'd like to tell me about?'

'Nope.' A he sipped his coffee, seemingly completely at ease with the situation.

'Of course not. Well, since you're here, have you had breakfast yet?'

'Nope.'

'Want some? I have home-made muffins.'

'Seriously?'

And there was, again, that happy twinkle that appeared in his eye whenever the mere possibility of him tasting her cooking came up. Kate had realized more than once since she had met him, that she had, a few times, cooked or baked just because she wanted to see that glint in his eye. It was as if her cooking could bring him to life in a way nothing else could and she had to admit, she was the last to complain.

'Yep.'

'Heck yes, then!'

She laughed and stood up, taking one last sip of coffee before going to the kitchen. He heard her move around the adjoining room and wondered what could possibly take so long; she just needed to take the muffins out of wherever she kept them hidden and bring them over; he would take care of the rest, no questions asked.

Finally, he decided to join her and see what she was doing. He left his cup next to hers and walked to the kitchen. He immediately noticed the tray on the table with two empty plates, two glasses of juice and one big plate with a mount of delicious-looking muffins. Her back was to him when he entered and he couldn't resist the temptation. He approached her and settled his hands on her hips, making her jump. She stood straight, neither leaning in nor moving away. Gibbs leaned down and dropped a kiss behind her ear, making her gasp; as nice as the kiss felt, they had never been quite this intimate.

'All you had to do to make me happy was bring the muffins.' He whispered against her ear before leaving another feather light kiss against the delicate skin. He felt her lean back against him and his arms circled her slim waist as he smiled against her neck, dropping a few more kisses here and there.

'Gibbs? What are you doing?' Kate wondered. There wasn't an ounce of accusation in her voice, but he could hear that she was quite confused, curious, maybe even slightly worried.

'Just giving in to something we've both been wanting for quite some time.' She looked over her shoulder and he took that occasion to softly kiss her lips. He looked down at her, smiling gently, glad that she hadn't pulled away yet. 'You do want this, don't you?' She nodded slowly. 'Good.' He kissed her again, this time a bit longer, enjoying the response she was finally giving.

'When did you become so vocal about your feelings?' She questioned. He chuckled lightly, squeezing her waist but not giving her any answer. 'Oh, well, doesn't matter.' She turned slightly to kiss him more fully, deepening the kiss this time. They both smiled when they pulled back.

'Kate?'

'Yeah?'

'You taste sweetenery. You shouldn't taste sweetenery after drinking coffee. You should taste like coffee.' She laughed and slapped his arms that were still crossed over her abdomen. It didn't faze him and he, once more, leaned down to join their lips. 'Don't worry, we'll change that.' He stated right before their lips touched again, and suddenly the muffins didn't sound so interesting anymore, so long as he had Kate's lips to taste.

* * *

P.S : I've noticed that I have had very little review for the previous chapter and this one is sure starting very slowly and not looking so good. So** I might decide not to post the next chapter until I have at least 40 reviews in total.**

Reviewing really doesn't take long (even anonymous readers can do so as I have enabled it) and it makes my day. Not seeing anything from my readers makes me think that you don't like it or don't actually care where I take this story and obviously, that makes me sad !

Just think about what it is like to have your personal work read by people and still never even have the slightest feedback and therefore not having any idea as to what said people think... It's very frustrating and makes one very sad. I'm sure it has happened to every one of you, at least once. =P

**So, if you like this story, please, tell me so and I will be much more inclined to post regularly and often. And I really do need an answer to my question so help me. =)**


	7. Of Murphy Law and Sacrifices

Here's the next chapter which I promised.

Thanks to all of you who have reviewed and left very nice feedback which I have really appreciated and which I hope to see more of.

This chapter is quite short, as are the next few ones, but I have to say, I like it and felt that nothing more was needed. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

And I don't have much more to say, so here goes. Let me know what you think.

Enjoy. =)

**Of Murphy Law and Sacrifices**

Once, they met in the elevator when arriving at work on a rainy morning.

Gibbs saw her entering the car and ran – barely keeping the cup he was holding from spilling over - and slipped between the doors just in time. Kate turned around, startled by his sudden appearance. She barely smiled when she saw who it was and that was when he knew something was wrong. He first pulled the emergency stop switch then turned back to her. He leaned down and kissed her, lingering on her lips to just enjoy the taste. He could feel her relax at the familiar touch but her foul mood and anger were still radiating off her in heavy waves. He pulled back from her.

'Morning. What's wrong?' Again she looked surprised then realized that this was Jethro Gibbs she was with; nothing went past him.

'Just in a bad mood. I'd much rather have stayed in bed all day.'

'Why's that? Come on, you don't get in a bad mood just like that.' He pressed.

'Just one of those days. The weather is crappy, it's starting to get cold. I don't like fall. It's a crappy season. There's always rain, wind and the cold settles in. And then there's the fact that I'm not feeling on top of my game, 'cause I think I'm coming down with something. Probably a cold or whatever. So I had a terrible night. And then there is this darned Murphy law which seems to be applying to lucky me today. So I wanna crawl back under my covers and sleep the day away. Would make everything so much better.'

Wordlessly Gibbs pulled her to him, hugging her with his free arm. He felt her tense then relax against his chest. Kate put her face to the side of his neck; he felt her eyes fluttering closed and her taking a deep breath. His hand kept stroking her back as he kissed her hair once and then just leaned his cheek against her head.

They stayed like that for a little while, until Kate pulled back, looking straight up at him.

'Thank you.'

'My pleasure, sweetheart. Feeling a little better?' She nodded. 'So what happened this morning?' She sighed once before starting her account.

'Woman with the wrong number woke me up fifty-five minutes before my alarm clock was supposed to go off. I tried to go back to sleep but she kept calling, each time convinced that she had the right number. Seriously, who calls people at five forty-five in the morning? Anyway, I gave up on sleep and went to take my shower but for some reason there was no hot water, so I had to take a cold one, then I went to make myself some coffee, but again, for some reason my coffee machine had to die on me this morning. So I didn't have anything to wake me up and put me in some kind of a less murderous mood. Then I realized my favorite sweater, which I was wearing, had a stain on it though I haven't worn it since I washed it not even a week ago. So I'll have to take it to the cleaner's and hope it's recoverable. Then I had a bit of a break, until there was a car accident on my way here, which made me arrive just now; so no time to get coffee 'cause I would have been late. All in all I woke up fifty-five minutes early, have a freaking headache, spent an hour in the car instead of half that time, and still haven't had any coffee. And it's not even 0900. So I wanna cry which is just plain ridiculous and makes me even angrier. And since this day has just started out so well, I'm pretty sure it will keep on like that and you gotta admit that that is just amazingly great.'

She was getting upset again so Gibbs settled his free hand against her neck and kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger on her skin as he felt her hands take a hold of his shirt. When he pulled back he handed her the cup he was holding. She looked at him incredulously, not believing that Gibbs would sacrifice his beloved coffee for her.

'Are you serious?' He nodded and smiled. She took a sip of the hot beverage, sighing even though it was black, which she found way too strong. 'Oh, thank you.' She sighed, smiling.

'Come on now, we don't want someone to start wondering what the hell we have been doing in this elevator for the past fifteen minutes. You ok?'

'Yeah. Thank you, Jethro.'

She stood on her tiptoes and pecked his lips, then his cheek, letting her forehead rest against his chin for one more minute, just drawing the much needed strength from him. When she pulled back, she shot him a light smile, and nodded once, showing him that she was ready to leave the comfort of his presence.

'Told you, no problem.'

He pushed the emergency stop switch again and the car moved, the doors opening on their floor.


	8. Of Sappiness and Sleepyheads

As promised in The Sweet Music of Love, here's the next chapter which, once again, is quite short. It's not one of my favorites but I guess it's good enough.

I hope you like it and, as usual, let me know what you think it.

Enjoy. =)

**Of Sappiness and Sleepyheads **

There was one of the times they had spent the night together, and she was still asleep under the covers.

Their relationship had been growing since the morning he had come to her place and they had shared their first kisses. They had been spending even more time together, their touches no longer having the forbidden feel to them. They enjoyed each other's presence as much as possible.

They had spent their first night together a few weeks earlier. They had spent the evening at his place, had had dinner and she had been just a tad bit too tipsy to drive home safely. So she had stayed the night, using one of his old shirts as pajamas. Since then, she had stayed a few times, the previous night had just been because they had wanted to spend the night together.

So there they were, him preparing coffee for the two of them, wishing more than anything that it was the weekend and not Wednesday morning, so he could stay in bed and hold her. He liked the feel of her smaller body against him, the way he was now allowed to let his hands roam over all of her curves. He liked the way she smelled; sugary and sweet yet there was something utterly womanly behind it all.

He smiled at the thought of her. He poured the coffee into two cups, adding milk and sweetener – it had made a sudden and surprising appearance in his cupboards – in hers. He was trying to get her to quit the ridiculous habit but he knew it made her smile when he put it in so just for the sake of seeing her smile, he did. And he had to admit the sweet taste wasn't all that bad after all. As long as he tasted it off her lips. He chuckled and shook his head. God, the woman was making him sappy!

He walked back to his bedroom and noticed that Kate was still hidden under the covers. He had discovered in the nights they had spent together that she liked to cuddle and have the covers all over her, like a nest she would build around herself before going to sleep. That way he could only see some black hair sticking out and was wondering how the heck she could breathe under there. And he had had to fight against the blanket-stealing-woman a few times already, leaving him to wonder why the heck a woman as tiny as her would need that many layers covering her.

He put the cups down on the night stand and reached out, pulling the comforter down. She was still sleeping soundly. That was another thing he had noticed : the woman could sleep peacefully through a hurricane… He leaned down and kissed her cheek and her lips, whispering her name. She stirred, but didn't wake. He tried again with a little more insistence this time and taking hold of her cup he brought it closer so she could smell it. Finally, her eyes opened. She looked confused for a moment then seemed to realize where she was and what was happening.

'Morning, sleepyhead.' He smiled, kissing her cheek once more. She just barely responded, still bed-headed, eyes puffy and slightly glazed over by sleepiness.

'Uhun. Coffee?'

Yep, definitely not talkative in the morning, he thought. He nodded and sat down next to her while she pushed herself up. Once she was done he gave her the cup and reached for his own, from which he took a long gulp as she did the same with her own cup.

'You put milk and sweetener?' She asked. He could hear the smile in her voice. 'Thank you.' She leaned against him, her chin on his shoulder and kissed his neck. He turned and kissed her temple in return.

'Sleep well?' Kate nodded. Neither said anything until he realized something. 'Do you have a spare of clothes? 'Cause if you don't, we're gonna have to drive by your place. DiNozzo always notices this kind of things.'

'In my car.' She simply said, smiling at her lover's rambling, which was so unusual Jethro Gibbs. But she was getting to know the unusual side of him so she didn't mind. She actually found it quite amusing.

'Good. I'll get it for you while you shower.' That was when she noticed that he was actually dressed, his hair still slightly damp.

'What time is it? When the hell did you have time to shower?' She asked incredulous.

'0715. Thought I'd let you sleep a while longer. You didn't seem to mind either.' She lightheartedly punched him in the ribs.

'I'll leave in about half an hour. You got your car anyway so if you wanna take your time in the bathroom, be my guest.'

'Okay. Best not arrive at the same time, right?'

'Yep.' He answered smiling, before leaning in to kiss her. The sweet peck on the lips heated up and turned quite passionate, though they both cut it off before it got out of hand. They didn't have much time on their hands, best not waste it even more.

'You know, I don't mind being woken up like that every morning.'

'Yeah? Neither do I.' He smirked.

They finished their cups in silence, until Gibbs stood up taking his and Kate's cup, leaned down and pecked her lips sweetly.

'I'll start breakfast.'


	9. Of Suspicion and Advices

Here comes chapter 8. I didn't really want this to happen so early in this story but all the chapters I've written afterward fit even less and my muse seems to be AWOL right now, so I don't have any inspiration for another chapter so here it is. If you have any suggestions for further chapters, feel free to share.

Ducky appears here and I hope I captured him well.

As usual, let me know what you think about this chapter. I'm going on a vacation for the next two weeks (I'll be back on August 3rd) so I won't be able to post anything until then but I hope to have lots and lots of reviews to read when I get back.

Enjoy. =)

**Of Suspicion and Advices**

There was the time they were with Ducky.

It was around noon when he strode into the bullpen. They had gotten a case in the morning and he had taken DiNozzo and McGee on the scene, asking Kate to stay at the office and start looking everything up on the victims since they already had ID's. She had accepted, grumbling that she wanted to go on the field, but nothing more. He had smiled at that. She might not like the tasks he sometimes asked her to do, but as long as they were justified and someone would have to do them anyway, she didn't voice her disapproval. Knowing she wouldn't be in a great mood and that she would have found what he asked for – and just because he wanted to see her smile, but that he couldn't admit out loud – he had bought her coffee, when he went to get his.

He walked to her desk and left the cup there slowing so she would hear his words and react.

'You're with me; we're going down to see Ducky.' He was getting to the elevator when she reached him, sipping her coffee. He saw her grimace and was almost tempted to smile, as he waited for her comment.

'You didn't put any milk.' She said, her tone flat. She turned to glare at him and he just flashed his best smile.

'Nope. Didn't seem to bother you this morning.'

'It did. You just don't have any milk.'

She pouted and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. She was just too cute when she pulled that face. They reached the autopsy level, and the elevator doors opened. He let her walk through first, laying a gentle and protective hand on the small of her back.

'So, what did you find?' He asked.

'Their lives. Everything is just about identical. They've been friends forever it seems.' Just then they entered the autopsy room and were greeted by Ducky.

'Good morning, my dear Caitlin. It has been quite a while since I have seen you here. How have you been fairing?'

'Good, Ducky. Thanks. How are you?'

'I am very well. Unlike our two petty officers here.'

'What can you tell us Ducky?' Gibbs asked as he looked at the two bodies on the tables. From what little Kate had told him, they didn't only share a physical resemblance.

'They were both shot in the forehead. Once.'

'Execution.' Kate said quietly.

Gibbs looked at her and nodded once. The look they shared said everything; executions were never a good thing. They turned back to the doctor and both lifted their cups to their lips, taking a long swallow before bringing the cups back down. The synchronicity of the act, as well as their physical closeness and the relaxed stances they were both sporting earned them a suspicious look from the ME. He tried to make nothing of it, but it only added to the list of what he had noticed was going on between them lately. However, that was not the matter at hand.

'It would appear so. However, as you can see, they both had their eyes pierced.'

'Before or after?' Gibbs wanted to know.

'Before.' The agents winced.

'They saw something they weren't supposed to.' Kate noted. 'Gibbs, this is mafia business.'

She was looking straight at him and he didn't like the look in her eyes. They both knew what mafia meant; if they got involved with this, they would probably pay it with their lives. The mafia didn't like to be tickled.

'Or what they want to make us think. The piercing the eyes when someone has seen something they weren't supposed to is as close to an urban legend as it gets.'

'We found the bodies.' She admitted. He had a point. And she liked the alternative better. 'We wouldn't have if this were mafia. We would just have a missing person's report.'

'Let's not get ahead of ourselves here.' She nodded. They were still looking straight into the other's eyes, completely missing Ducky following the exchange a more and more knowing look on his face. 'Find anything else Ducky?' Gibbs asked, only turning to him afterwards.

'I did, Jethro. They have bruised and torn skin on their wrists and ankles. That is all I can tell you for now. I have sent all the necessary samples to Abby.'

'Thanks Ducky.' He started to turn and walk out of the room but was stopped by the doctor himself.

'Jethro, Caitlin? Is there something going on between you that I should know about?' The startled looks and uncomfortable shuffling was all the answer he needed. 'I thought so. I suppose congratulations are in order.' He smiled, and so did the agents after realizing that there was no denying it.

'Not a word Ducky!' Gibbs stated, knowing before even saying it that it was obvious to his long time friend.

'Of course not, Jethro.'

'Thank you.'

Kate and Gibbs turned around and walked towards the elevator, Jethro letting his hand rest on the small of her back once more. When she was just out the door, he heard Ducky call him once more. He turned around, just as Kate was pushing the switch for the elevator.

'Take good care of her Jethro. She is worth it.'

'I know.'

'Do not let her go and most importantly, do not mess things up.'

'I won't Ducky.'

'She is too good for that.'

'Yes she is.'

With those words he turned back and joined the woman in question in the elevator. They both leaned against the walls of the car as soon as the doors were closed.

'Well, that was… Interesting.' Kate stated, laughing slightly.

'Oh yeah.'

He joined her laughter, until they reached their floor and they had to school their features.


	10. Of Hot Chocolate and Childhood Memories

Hi,

I know it's been a while since I posted the last chapter to this story. Truth is I have so many OS's and unfortunately little inspiration for this story anymore. I still have many chapters to post but I was hoping it would come back soon. And it still hasn't.

This chapter is actually one of the most recent ones I wrote but I felt it fit better here than after twenty-some chapters. =) Also, it was one of the first ones for which I really had to work to find what I wanted to do with it as inspiration was already leaving. I'm not quite sure what I think about it so I really hope you will like it (and please, let me know if you do, I'm really in need of reassurance on that one.)

Thanks for all of you who are still sticking with this story and sending me lovely reviews; it's great to hear from those faithful readers.

I promise I will post the next chapter sooner; probably next Saturday or Sunday.

In the mean time, let me know how you like this chapter or this story in general.

Enjoy. =)

**Of Hot Chocolate and Childhood Memories.**

One time she was very unlucky.

Gibbs was really starting to worry. Kate had left for her run quite a long while ago and that wouldn't bother him in the least if it hadn't started raining very heavily. He knew she ran six miles every Saturday and Sunday and he knew her rhythm, so he had estimated that the rain must have started right around the point of no return at which she would have reached the three-mile limit. And that worried him. She couldn't turn back to shorten the run and the rain had been falling extremely hard ever since it started. One would almost think they were in the tropics and not in Washington D.C. Gibbs had been looking back and forth between his boat and the clock, hoping to hear the front door opening, knowing that constantly looking at the time would not make it go faster; on the contrary.

Finally, he heard it and raced up the stairs to meet the completely soaked woman. Now that he had assessed that, other than the fact that she looked like a drowned rat, she was perfectly fine, he was tempted to laugh at her appearance. The glare she threw him before he could even start stopped him short.

'You okay?' He asked as she took off her running shoes.

'I'm wet, I'm cold and I need antiseptic and band aids.' Kate muttered as a shiver ran through her. He was only then that he noticed the blood slowly oozing from her right knee and right forearm.

'What happened?'

'I slipped and fell.'

'Wanna shower and get dry first?'

She nodded and moved to his bedroom and its adjoining bathroom. When she came back out a few minutes later, she was wearing sweatpants and one of his old shirts and was drying her hair out with a towel. She joined him on the couch, immediately leaning against him. He felt her shiver and frowned.

'Still cold?' He wondered.

'Yeah, on the inside. That would take too long a shower to warm up. I'll be fine in a while though.'

'Want some coffee?' He saw her thinking and look up at him.

'Please don't laugh at me.' She said in advance.

'What for?'

'Do you know how to make hot chocolate?' Kate asked shyly and sheepishly but that wasn't enough to keep him from looking at her as if she were crazy.

'Excuse me? How old are you?' He knew his voice matched the look on his face but that didn't seem to faze her.

'Twenty-nine.' She answered in a beat. He threw her a pointed look. 'Seriously, other than men, hot chocolate is the best thing that was ever invented to warm you up.' She explained. 'It's better than coffee.' She added matter-of-factly.

'That's lovely but I don't have any.'

'Actually you do. I brought some over a couple weeks ago. Thought that way I would have some for the winter.'

She shrugged innocently, looking up at him from her spot on his shoulder, her big brown eyes so soft and alight that he couldn't say no to her crazy yet oh-so sweet demand. He laughed and started standing up, kissing the top of her head before moving to the kitchen. When he was done, he came back to the living room with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cup of hot chocolate in the other.

If he had been told a year ago that he would be preparing hot chocolate for his girlfriend, who also happened to work with him, he would surely have sent whomever had stated that to the loony-bin but at that moment, he couldn't deny it; as crazy and unbelievable as it might sound. And even more shocking was that he really didn't mind.

He handed her the cup, earning one of the wide grins he loved so much. He sat back down and Kate pecked his lips once, whispering a soft yet somehow teasing 'thank you'. She reclaimed her spot on his shoulder and they both started sipping at their respective cup. Until he remembered something.

'Knee?' She didn't say anything, just lifted the left leg of her pants up. The cut wasn't bad, he noticed gladly. He gently cleaned it before applying a small band-aid. 'Good?'

'Yep.'

'Arm.'

She lifted it up and he took a look at it, wincing slightly. The cut was worse than the one on her knee. It wasn't deep; just a flesh wound, but it covered about half her forearm. He started cleaning it as well, gently dabbing it with a cotton ball and antiseptic.

'How the heck did you manage that?'

'I slipped and didn't have time to react. Plus there's the fact that last time I tried to break a fall I actually broke my arm; didn't want to try that one again.'

'When was that?'

'Middle School. I think. It must have been twelve or thirteen.' She recalled as he patched some gauze over the torn skin and let go of her arm.

'How'd you do that?' He questioned as he felt her lean more into him. His arm took on its usual spot around her shoulders.

'I think I was running after one of my brothers. Probably Tim. He's the youngest one, as in two years older than me and he kept stealing stuff from me. I think I was running after him in the garden and tripped over something.'

'Nice.'

'Nah, we had good times.'

'Yeah?'

'Yep. They were really annoying and all but I've always been their little sister so they're overly protective, mostly Mike. I always ratted off to him when Tim bugged me. You'll see when you meet them, Mike is not only the oldest one, so he's got the necessary authority but he's also really tall.'

'So what happened?'

'Well, imagine on one side, Mike, nineteen years old, 6'4'' and on the other hand Tim, thirteen years old, just barely 5'2'' at the time. It was hilarious.' She commented, a smile breaking out on her face at the memory. 'I quickly learnt that I was better off arguing and fighting with Tim than with Mike.'

'I'd imagine. How tall were you back then?'

'More like how short. I know I was 4'7'' when I was eleven.' He laughed and she poked him hard in the ribs. 'Of course, the guys always used to make fun of me. Which I hated. So I think I'm the one who started a lot of the arguments.'

'Now that's a surprise.' He commented sarcastically.

'Hey! That was just because Emily was already out of the house so I was the only girl. Plus I was the youngest one and really short, so I needed to make my impression. Just like the Yorkshires. I barked really loud and was really defensive but in the end it didn't often work out. So I managed to lure the strongest asset of the family into my team. Which meant trouble when he left because I had to deal with Tim and Derek alone. But by then I managed pretty well on my own.'

'So, how many bones did you break while fighting with them?'

'A bunch. I cracked a few ribs. Never too bad though. Like I said, broke my arm once. I broke my nose five times. And you know what? That hurts like the devil.' She paused to think. 'And that's it.'

'That's enough.'

'Well, actually, that's just from fighting with them.' She added sheepishly.

'Seriously?' She nodded. 'Go ahead, I'm listening.'

'The worst was a car accident when I was twenty one. Ribs, clavicle and leg were in for it. Plus a very nasty concussion which took forever to heal. And when I was six I broke a leg and arm when I fell off a tree.'

'What?'

Their conversation went on that way, lightheartedly, neither of them noticing that the rain had stopped until Kate's stomach grumbled for food and they went into the kitchen to get lunch.


	11. Of Butterflies, Puppies and Flowers

As promised, the next chapter =P. I might even post a OS this afternoon if I'm feeling generous, which I probably will. Now I only have to decide which OS I will post and that's going to be the tough decision.

This is a very silly piece which I nonetheless find ridiculously cute. It's probably one of my favorite chapters in this story (so far) so I really hope you will share my opinion and like it. Once again, it didn't end up the way I expected it, but I'm very satisfied with the result.

I don't have much more to say so I'm going to leave it at that.

As usual, let me know what you think.

Enjoy. =)

**Of Butterflies, Puppies and Flowers**

They drank coffee together when she had a massive concussion and wasn't allowed to sleep, for fear she would not wake up.

Jethro was sitting on the gurney on which Kate was lying. He was holding her hand as the doctor tried to convince her to stay the night at the hospital, that with the concussion she was suffering from it really was not prudent to leave, that she needed medical care for, at least, the night. Gibbs had tried to talk her out of leaving but it was of no use. She was too stubborn. But then again, who was he to criticize that; he would be just the same if he were in her position. At least _she_ remained polite.

So to end all the drama Kate and he were really getting tired of he promised the doctor he would take care of her and that he would ask their friend, a doctor as well, to come over in the morning. If anything were to go wrong, he would bring her right back. The doctor reluctantly agreed and Kate signed the papers releasing her against medical advice. She was a bit unsteady on her feet so Gibbs helped her to the car.

He drove to his place and helped her to the couch. She was leaning heavily against him and he knew that she was both slightly dizzy and very tired. He decided to remedy to that by making them some coffee. She still hadn't moved from her seat on the couch when he got back there with the two cups. He handed her the cup which was meant for her, startling her out of her thoughts. She looked up and smiled droopily. Her movements were slow, slightly uncoordinated and most definitely unsteady so when he sat down next to her he kept one hand close to hers in case she dropped the cup. When he was sure no such thing would happen, he moved his arm around her shoulders as her head dropped to his own shoulder.

'How you feelin'?' He asked softly so as not to aggravate her already bad headache.

'Sleepy.' She answered quietly, her words slightly slurred. The way she looked he was already considering bringing her back to the hospital. But he gave her a chance.

'Drink your coffee, you'll probably feel better afterwards. What else?'

'Huh?'

'What else are you feeling?'

'Oh. Uh, dizzy, a little bit. Room doesn't seem to want to stop moving.' Oh boy! He had never faced a really drunken Kate. Now he was about to have to take care of a concussed, dosed up on meds and sleepy one!

'Yeah, well, just don't move too much.'

'And nauseous.' Crap!

'Is it really bad?'

'Kinda.' Way to be precise girl.

'You need a basin or something in here or will you be alright?'

'Nah. I think I'm okay.' He noticed she still hadn't touched her coffee so he tried to push her to do so.

'Katie, drink.'

'What?' She looked at him as if he had just sprouted a second head.

'Your coffee.'

'Huh?'

Yeah, concussed, dosed up on meds and sleepy Kate really was something. He pushed the cup she was still holding towards her lips and she looked down, seeming surprised and confused that she had something in her hands.

'Drink it.'

'Oh. Okay.'

And drink she did. When she was done she went to put the cup on the coffee table but she kept missing so he helped then pulled her back to him, her head under his chin, her hand on his chest and her knees pulled up. His arms circled her small frame and he kissed her hair softly.

'How's the headache?'

'The meds make it okay. But it's still there.' She was silent for a few moments, drawing unidentified forms on his shirt.

'Jethro?'

'Yeah?'

'Do you like butterflies?'

What the hell?

'Uh, yeah I guess, haven't really asked myself the question lately.'

'Oh.' He had no idea why, but his Katie sounded disappointed, and that made him sad. 'I like them.'

'I know you do, sweetheart.' He answered truthfully.

'How do you know?'

He found it both funny and utterly adorable how confused and curious she sounded. He knew she would kill him if she ever heard him talk about her in those terms but right now she was concussed and talking absolute nonsense so he didn't think she would mind.

'You have one tattooed on your butt.' She frowned and then seemed to remember.

'Oh right.'

Well really it was the top of the thigh, but he wasn't going to confuse her even more. He gently stroked her skin – through the fabric of her pants – exactly where the object of their attention was. He had been surprised the first time he saw it, thinking it so unlike his Katie-girl to have a tattoo, but he had come to like it. The small black and red drawing stood out on her pale skin, always catching his attention when appropriately dressed – or rather undressed.

'You know, we could go to the botanical garden one day. I've heard they have plenty there.'

'Really?'

The look of utter amazement and happiness made him think he was seeing a six-year-old Katie on Christmas morning. And it just called for a kiss. Which he gladly gave. It was slow, sensual and passionate. Neither was pushing the other, they were just enjoying it the way it happened. He moved his hand up to the back of her neck, under her hair and pulled back, kissing her forehead then leaning his against it, all very gently so he wouldn't hurt her. She smiled and he, once again, knew there would never be anything he wouldn't give her.

He pulled her head back down to his chest and played with her hair, liking the feel of her small fingers creating abstract patterns on his shirt. He let her choose the topics of conversation and so, when morning came, he decided he had had the weirdest yet sweetest night ever.

Butterflies, puppies, flowers and all.


	12. Of Snow and Kleptomaniacs

Here's the twelfth chapter. It's another one of my favorites and when I first wrote it, it was way earlier in the story. After a lot of remodeling, I decided this is where it fit best.

GibbsGirl121 once left a review saying this story needed more smoochies... I hope this qualifies and satisfies. ; P Let me know.

I might post another OS today, too.

And I don't have anything else to say. Just don't forget to tell me what you think. Reviews never stop making me happy... You know the drill. =)

And now, enjoy. =)

P.S : William Shakespeare just started following me on Twitter... Think I should call the shrink? For him or for me? Oh, well, I'll just see how it goes. Maybe he's just like Helen Magnus. Those of you who watch Sanctuary will get the reference. =) As for the others, just go watch... It's such and amazing show.

**Of Snow and Kleptomaniacs**

And then, on one of their rare weekends off.

For once, Kate was already awake while Gibbs was still lazing in bed, mostly asleep. Kate however, was already up and about.

She had woken up feeling bubbly, lighthearted and happy, so she had dropped a light kiss on Jethro's lips and gotten up, picking up his shirt and boxers and putting them on. She had walked to the living room and looked out the window, noticing the snow on the ground and the sun in the sky. She smiled brightly, and lightly walked to the kitchen, starting the coffee machine.

When the coffee was ready she poured it into two cups, adding some milk and sweetener in hers. She then walked back to the bedroom. She put the two cups on the nightstand, and noticed with a smile that Jethro had started to stir as soon as the coffee was close enough for him to smell. She knew he had some kind of a radar for the beverage, but it still amazed her how dependent he was on the strong beverage.

Kate climbed on the bed, straddled him and leaned down, kissing his lips, as her hands stroked his chest. She soon felt his hands on her hips and then on the skin of her back as they slipped under his shirt. He answered to her kiss, deepening it progressively. They both moaned and pulled back. They opened their eyes, and smiled. With her long hair hanging on both sides of her head, curtaining them, and the gorgeous smile lighting up her face, he thought he had to be the luckiest man alive. Really, when and where had he done something so great that made him deserve to be woken up that way by this beautiful woman? He caressed her back, keeping his hand under her – well actually his – shirt, moving them to her shoulders.

'Love being woken up like that.' He whispered.

'Yeah?'

'Oh yeah! Gorgeous woman – _my_ gorgeous woman – straddling me and kissing me, bringing me coffee in bed. Doesn't get much better.'

'So I'm gorgeous?' She teased, enjoying the opportunity to get an unexpected and honest compliment out of him.

'Hell yeah!'

Gibbs pulled her back down to him, kissing her, his hands holding on to her shoulders. One of them moaned – they weren't sure whom, and didn't care much. When they pulled back they smiled brightly once again, their lips separated by mere breaths.

'God, love the weekends.'

'Mmh, me too.' Kate nodded, touching her lips to his once more.

'Tell me though, isn't that my shirt?'

'It is.' She smiled teasingly.

'So what am I going to wear?'

'Don't know. Well actually, don't really care. I like you just fine like that.' She kissed him again, moving one hand to the back of his neck.

'It's cold outside.' He mock whined, which she found utterly adorable. She tried hard not to smile. And failed. A huge grin broke out on her face.

'I know. It snowed last night.'

'It did?'

She nodded against the side of his neck where she was dropping soft and warm kisses which made him realize that he really couldn't care less about the weather. Or anything else for that matter. As long as she kept doing that, he could die an unbelievably happy man. But just for the sake of the argument he continued.

'See, I'm gonna need my shirt.'

'Who said anything about going outside? I'm just fine here in bed. And it's warm too.'

'I guess. I still want my shirt back though. Maybe I like what's under even better.' He whispered.

Jethro kissed her again, slowly, passionately, caressing her skin, moving up and down her back, over her backside and down her thighs until he reached her knees, then back up her front, over her taught stomach, feeling the muscles tensing, and up to her breasts. He felt her sigh into his mouth. He palmed her breasts then pulled back, chuckling when she whimpered her disapproval and tried to follow his retreating mouth. He pecked her pouting lips once more and settled his hands on her hips, thumbs stroking the soft skin just below the waist band of the material he found there.

'Apparently my shirt isn't the only thing you stole from me.'

'Huh?'

He knew she was way too distracted to understand what he was talking about. That had been his goal. He could have stopped his exploration when he felt the fabric of his boxers on her behind, but it was just too tempting to distract her completely. She was just so utterly hot when she looked at him like that, pupils dilated and lips swollen, not a wish in the world but for him to continue down the way he had been going just instants earlier.

'My boxers, young lady. I knew there had to be a dark side to Caitlin Todd, you little kleptomaniac.' He looked at her pouting lips again and pecked them once more. 'Very cute klepto though.'

He kissed her again, not letting her deepen the kiss as she obviously wanted, and started tickling her, taking her completely by surprise. She squealed and tried to bat his hands away, but he had the advantage of strength and the element of surprise. He turned them around, until he was on top of her, nestled comfortably between her legs. He nuzzled her neck and kissed her nose.

'I love you, Kate. So much.' Kate smiled. It wasn't the first time they said the words but it still had the same effect on her : turning her into little more than a boneless goo. She would most certainly make sure he never found out about that, or she would be completely lost.

'Love you too, Jethro.'

'Good, I'm glad. Now did I smell coffee.'

She gasped in mock horror and he leaned towards the nightstand to grab one cup after another as she slapped his chest. Hard.

'Are you saying you like coffee more than me?' She asked, pulling her best 'bitchy' voice.

'Never, darling.' He answered in a false, very bad imitation of the british accent

'Good.'

And she started sipping her coffee, as her lover chuckled and circled his arm around her slim waist to pull her back to him.


	13. Of Pants and Blackmail

Here's the thirteenth chapter which I am posting now because I might not be able to access the internet for the next week and a half. I hope I will be able to (I really don't want to wait _**10!** _days until I can see Monday's Rizzoli & Isles episode...) but I can't promise anything. And since I know I would have received many protests had I not posted something tonight I am posting this.

I don't really like the beginning which I think is really mediocre but I kind of like where it went so I'm leaving it as it is. I hope you like it. =)

If I have access to the internet I will post an OS as soon as possible but again, no promises.

Not much more to say except that I hope to have lots and lots of reviews to read next time I'm online. =D You know what you have to do to keep me happy.

Enjoy. =)

**Of Pants and Blackmail**

They shared coffee when they were on a stake out.

Almost a week earlier they had been called on a case. They knew who had killed the young officer but they didn't have any proof of his culpability.

So they had decided to find some, and rented a flat across the street from his. Special Agents McGee and DiNozzo worked there from 1000 to 1800, Todd and Gibbs from 1800 to 0200, and Thomas and Wilson from 0200 to 1000. The rest of the time, they tried to find leads - any leads - to get to him.

It was 1745 when Gibbs and Kate approached the building they had chosen. They were walking close to one another, talking quietly, each holding a coffee cup and sipping at it every now and then.

'So, who'd you think will go ballistic first? McGee or DiNozzo?' Kate asked with a smile and a twinkle in her eye that he had missed during the last week of constant work.

'Neither.'

'Are you serious? Come on, kinda everything in McGee annoys Tony. He's gonna push him to his limits. McGee is bound to get fed up and snap at one point. Either that or DiNozzo will be in a bad mood and just get it over with.' She explained as if she were repeating an obvious fact for the umpteenth time. 'So come on, who will pull the trigger first?'

'Neither. McGee is too scared of DiNozzo to do anything. Plus he isn't confident enough that he won't miss and gain DiNozzo's wrath. And DiNozzo is too scared of me to kill McGee.'

Kate laughed and Gibbs smiled brightly, looking at her. He liked her laugh and he liked the look on her face when she smiled. Not the mischievous and teasing smile she always flashed Tony. The real one, which revealed utter happiness; the one she reserved for him. He chuckled and shook his head. He had it bad and right before a stake out was not the time to get too deep into that kind of feelings, entertaining and heartwarming as they were.

'He'll probably throw a chair or something of the kind at him.'

'So you think Tony will snap first.' She summed up, just as they reached the door to the building.

'Yeah. Come on, let's get this show on the road.' He said, placing a hand on the small of her back, guiding her through the door.

Just as they opened the door to the apartment they heard an 'Oh, Thank God!' coming from Tony. He was in front of them in seconds.

'Boss, I can't do this anymore. I'm not spending another eight hours in this place doing nothing, with _probie_!'

Kate and Gibbs faced each other and shared a smile which said everything. They took a sip of coffee and turned back to Tony who was rambling about the reasons he could not do this.

'DiNozzo!' Gibbs snapped, getting all the attention in the room. 'I got it! We're not gonna keep doing this long anyway. We will have other cases to focus on and if we stay too long he'll notice something. He knows us all, so if he sees either one of us we're done. We'll stay after him but junior agents will do so and they will change regularly. This will be our last shift. I've already told Thomas and Wilson that their shift was taken over by someone else. Now did you see anything?'

'Uh, no boss. This guy has the most boring life ever. He never goes out.'

'That's kind of odd.' Kate noted. All eyes turned to her. 'Well, we have been after him for four days, and he hasn't gone out. Not once. Not even to buy milk.' She threw a pointed look at Gibbs, which he immediately understood and had him fight not to smile. 'How can a guy who never goes out have people he hates enough to kill?'

'She's right.' Gibbs admitted. 'Regardless, we'll stay after him. We all know he did it. He doesn't have an alibi, he has a motive and he practically told us he did it. Alright DiNozzo, McGee, get out of here.'

They didn't need to be told twice and soon the room was quiet again. Kate started working on checking all the equipment while Gibbs looked through the window and then settled on the couch, following the woman's every move. She had gotten rid of her brown high-heeled-boots and red winter coat. Her hair was untied and most of it was hanging down the sides of her face, the rest lying on her back, a few shades darker than her brown sweater. He looked down at her brown pants and frowned.

'Those pants new?'

Kate looked at him over her shoulder and smiled. He knew women loved when men noticed they had new clothes, so really, he was just getting into her good graces; he had ulterior motives he was certain she wouldn't reject or complain about.

'Yep.'

'When did you get them?'

'Last week. Had lunch with Abs that one day and saw them in a shop.'

'They look nice.'

'Thanks.' She smiled brightly again. 'Alright, all set. Now we just have to hope something will happen.'

She sat down next to him and looked at the screen that showed what was happening – or more like not happening – across the street. She felt Jethro's arm come over her shoulders and leaned into his side, her head not quite resting on his shoulder because that was just way too comfortable. And comfortable was dangerous while on duty. His hand was gently rubbing her shoulder and the top of her arm as hers drew abstract patterns on the fabric of his pants.

'Wanna order something in now or later?' She asked after a little while.

'How 'bout now? I'm starved.'

'Got your cell?'

'Yeah.' He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to her. 'Where's yours?'

'Purse. I'm too comfy to get up and get it.' He laughed, and kissed her temple. 'Alright, what do we want?'

'Pizza?'

'No way!' He looked at her, his shock at hearing the blasphemy come out of her mouth showing on his face. 'Not again.' She reiterated. 'We already had it twice since we started the stake out.'

'So?'

'That's way too much.'

'I like pizza.'

'No kidding.' He smiled innocently. 'No pizza!' He pouted. 'Stop that.'

Her tone was stern, and he found himself imagining that, one day, she would talk to their misbehaving child that way. Yet she was smiling slightly, her eyes twinkling, and she couldn't keep her amusement out of her voice.

'You look ridiculous like that.' Gibbs started tickling her and she laughed, trying to get away from him.

'I'll show you ridiculous.' He managed to get them flat on the couch, with him lying on top of her.

'Jethro! We're on a stake out.' She tried to reason, though her laughter kind of minimized the effect. Still he knew she was right so he reluctantly sat back up and pulled her with him.

'You started it.' He argued and he knew he sounded like a little boy, but it really didn't matter.

'No I didn't.'

'Yes you did.'

'Dream on; I didn't start this. So what do you want? Chinese or Thai?'

'Italian?'

'Sure; pasta.'

'Damn. You drive a hard bargain woman. I'm a big man, I need food. Human food. Salad is rabbit food, already told you that a bunch of times, dear.'

'Do I look like a rabbit to you?'

'My point exactly. You should eat food that's made for your species.'

Kate glared at him, and he couldn't help but notice that she was getting better and better at it. He didn't know whether he should be proud of his girl or worried that she had been able to master it so quickly. The devilish side of him loved the fact that he would make one heck of a woman of her.

'Jethro, you better choose what you want to eat or I'm going down to that bio-market I saw 'round the corner.'

'Alright, alright. Thai.'

'There we go. Your usual?'

'Yup.'

She nodded and made the call, while her lover tried to distract her by stroking the skin of her back he found under the three layers she was wearing.


	14. Of Regulations and Surprises

As promised, I'm back, so you get the next chapter. And I'll be posting a OS right after this, so you'll have a lot to read which I hope will make you all happy. =)

In the mean time, I hope you like this chapter and as usual, don't forget to leave a little something on the way out. That little blue link is just begging for you to click it.

Enjoy. =)

**Of Regulations and Surprises**

And then they got caught.

They had gone to their usual Coffee shop. The one they met in the first time they drank coffee together. They had made a small habit of coming there every now and then though they had no set day. Their jobs didn't allow that, so they came in the mornings when they had no open case and didn't have a particular wish to prolong their time in bed. They would come there and order their coffee, then, depending on the weather, stay in and enjoy their beverages or go out to the park.

On that day, it was both cold and snowing so they sat inside. They were sitting face to face, their hands touching on the table, Jethro drawing invisible lines and forms in Kate's palm, sometimes moving to her wrist and up her forearm.

There was never more public display of affection. They both agreed on that. Gibbs was old school and had learned not to be too touchy feely in the public range, while Caitlin, though not raised the same way, had always felt physical contact was to be kept for private places. It was much more enjoyable then : more things to do and more fun to have.

They were talking quietly, neither really awake yet. They just enjoyed the company, sipping their drinks, randomly making trivial comments. Her mother's approaching visit, the closet they would soon have to buy for more and more of Kate's clothes moved to his place, the new waitress who still had much to learn, how they missed the previous one to whom they had nothing to say because she had seen them order the same thing so many times that she knew what they wanted, how Tony had spent the past day grumbling and complaining about the loads of paperwork he had to fill out because Gibbs had ordered him to get them done – stat!

Neither saw the NCIS Director enter the building. Gibbs could have, however he was looking at Kate, laughing at her very accurate imitation of DiNozzo. A few moments later, he looked up as he saw, from the corner of his eye, a man approaching their table. He froze when he recognized him and felt Kate do so as well, just before she pulled her hand back from under his.

'Special Agent Gibbs.'

Morrow nodded at him, his face an unreadable mask, which made Kate squirm. The girl was so not used to being in trouble and while Gibbs did not impress her anymore, the Director still held that power over her. The fact that she only knew little about the man and his temper made it all the worse; she really had no idea what to expect, and that was plain scary. He had to say, he did, in fact, feel sorry for her.

'Sir.' He nodded back, surprised by the strength and steadiness of his voice.

'Special Agent Todd.'

'Sir.' She croaked, and then swallowed.

'Enjoying your coffee?' He asked, still not revealing anything about what was to come.

'Yes, sir.' They answered simultaneously, not quite sure what to make of the conversational tone.

'Good.' He let them brew for a while. 'Mind if I join you?'

Gibbs saw Kate let out the breath she had been holding, her back which had up until now been as straight as an arrow slumped just slightly and he saw her close her eyes briefly in relief.

'Sure, have a seat.' Gibbs said. He knew Kate would most likely not say a word unless she was asked a question. Though somehow reassured that nothing too drastic and bad would happen he knew she was still tense and nervous. 'How you doin', sir?'

'I'm good. You two come here often?' He asked, his eyes going from Kate to Gibbs.

'Kinda. Never seen you here.' He hinted trying to turn the conversation to any topic but their boss finding them holding hands at 0830 in a coffee shop.

'I usually come here earlier. Not every day either, though.' He paused 'Agents.' Kate tensed again. Both Gibbs and her knew what was coming. 'You're smart. Both of you. I'm going to suppose you know what you are doing and the consequences should something turn bad.'

'Yes, sir.' Gibbs said as Kate simply nodded.

'You know you are breaking rules. No just yours, Jethro. The NCIS regulations.' He was awarded with the same answers. 'How long has this been going on?'

'A bit over nine months, sir.' The Director chocked on his coffee.

'Well, that's a surprise if I've ever heard one. I didn't have any idea. You sure know how to keep this a secret, I'll give you that.' He considered that for a moment.

'Sir?' Kate asked in a small voice. He looked at her and she squirmed. Would they be in any other situation, Gibbs would have laughed, for that was so far from Kate's strength and confidence. 'Is something going to happen?'

'Like I said Agent Todd, you're a smart woman. I think you made your decision as to what would happen when this started.'

If the man weren't his boss, Gibbs would already be holding the guy by the collar, a threatening punch facing his nose. He had never seen Kate so uncomfortable and he knew Morrow knew exactly what he was doing. He was taking his sweet time making the woman suffer and fear. He tightened his hand into a fist to keep from reaching out and grabbing her hand or punching the table to hurry the man. In just a few seconds, he had gone from enjoying the discomfort his lover was in to hating it and only wishing to put an end to it. And really, he found it slightly scary that she unknowingly already had such a tight hold on his emotions.

'You're both very good agents and I don't want to see either of you leave. If for nine months you have been able to keep it a secret and keep your work as efficient as afore, I'm confident you will be able to do so in the future.' Again, Kate relaxed. 'I'll pretend I don't know anything about this if I'm asked. If any heads are to roll because of this, it won't be mine. Are we clear?' They nodded. 'Good. Now Jethro, I really hope this is the right one.'

They both chuckled, though Kate was too stunned by the sudden change of tone and subject of conversation to react. Gibbs gave in and grabbed her hand. He could feel how cold it was and wished against anything that he could pull her to him and hug her, caress her back, kiss her head and stroke her hair. He would wait to be in the elevator to do that.

'Oh, she is.' He looked at her and they smiled, her smile slightly crooked and uneasy as she still wasn't over her shock and still couldn't quite believe that that was it for the reprimanding.

'Good. 'Cause I'm really sick of having to change your marital status every goddamn month. And if you hurt her, there'll be a whole lot of people after you. Or she would just shoot you. And you're just too valuable an agent to die like that.' This time, even Kate laughed.

'Yeah. Not gonna happen.' He looked at Kate. 'You ready?' She nodded. 'Well, sir, we've got paperwork waiting.'

'Go ahead, kids.'

They both stood up and Gibbs helped Kate into her coat, just for the sake of being able to touch her. They then walked out of the coffee shop, close, yet not touching.


	15. Of Stolen Moments and Coffee Withdrawal

Okay, so I had the order of my chapters mixed up and sort of forgot this chapter. So I actually like this one. No coffee to drink here, hence the title but it is mentioned and does have its own importance. And really, it's just a good excuse to get a Kibbs moment. =D

I'll be posting the sequel to _Professionalism_ tomorrow for anyone who is interested. And I hope everyone is. =)

I don't have much more to say. So I'll keep it at that. Oh and, there might be a little _Lie To Me_ reference in this chapter. Cookie for anyone who catches it...

As usual, don't forget to review. It makes me happy!

And now, enjoy. =)

**Of Stolen Moments and Coffee Withdrawal**

He wished he could have had coffee when Kate and him were working undercover.

The two of them were at a cocktail party where they were supposed to locate the lover of a woman whose husband had been killed. More than a few people had pointed to him as the principal suspect but no one knew who he was. All they knew was that the Mrs. Johnson and him met at the many cocktail parties she went to. So the team had followed her to this one.

Kate was standing close to the bar, listening to the insufferable flirting of some kind of a small investor. He had seen her alone at the bar and had decided to make her his prey of the night. The agent was about ready to slap him, but she knew that wouldn't make too good an impression. And it would defeat the whole 'be discreet'. So she held back, wishing more than anything that Gibbs and her did not have to be separated to watch as much of the room as possible.

Her eyes crossed her colleague's and he seemed to immediately notice her distress. He came over as fast as was appropriate in those parties and joined her. He leaned down and gently pecked her lips, knowing that it was the easiest and most polite way to get rid of the young man without catching too much unwanted attention. The boy's smile seemed to falter and Gibbs could only cheer on the inside. He settled his hand on the small of Kate's back, letting it slip to her hip and stood next to her, enjoying the closeness they could for once show while working. Their undercover assignment didn't exactly specify the nature of their relationship, but they had agreed it would be easier to pretend – since they didn't really have to pretend – they were a couple.

'Jethro, this is-'

'James Fitzgerald.' He interrupted, extending his hand.

Gibbs really didn't want to shake it, mostly because it forced him to detach his own hand from Kate's body and he really didn't want that. But he indulged Fitzgerald, knowing that they weren't to draw too much attention. And making enemies did not enter that category. However, he did not try to appear pleased. The kid would probably blame his displeasure on the fact that he had just been hitting on his girlfriend, which was partially true. It didn't take long for him to take the hint and excuse himself, moving onto another passing woman.

'I want coffee.' He muttered into Kate's ear.

She leaned slightly into him, turning her head to look up at him. She turned around so she could face him completely yet easily keep an eye on the room. She kept an appropriate distance between them but she still felt his arm circling her waist and again settle at the small of her back and his thumb gently caressing the soft skin he found there.

'Yeah, because that would fit in so well.'

'I don't care if we fit in, I want coffee.'

'I know you do. I don't even think they have any, though. I mean, come on, who drinks coffee at 2200?'

'I do.'

'My point exactly : normal people don't drink coffee this late at night.'

Ever since he had joined her, he had been looking at the room. That statement made him look down at her. He immediately met her eyes as she had taken advantage of his attention being on the room to look at his face.

'You saying I'm not normal?' Gibbs asked, mock offended.

'I wouldn't dare.' She teased back, before her tone became more serious. 'Don't they have any Bourbon?'

'Not the good kind.' She nodded, smiling but didn't say anything. He noticed that she wasn't holding a glass. 'What did you get?'

'Wine. There was no way I was going to stick to orange juice. We're already sticking out like sore thumbs. Non-alcoholic drinks practically scream cop on duty.' He chuckled, nodding. Great minds thought alike.

'I hate playing dress-up.' He complained after a while of silence during which they had both kept a close eye on Mrs. Johnson.

'Tell me about it, you don't have half the room hitting on you. I swear if I have to listen to another one of these guys I will shoot myself.'

'Ah, sweetheart, don't; it would be a shame to lose you.' Kate smiled gently. 'Plus I can actually understand them.' She shot him a questioning glance. 'You look stunning, Katie.' Her smile brightened and she leaned up to kiss his cheek.

'Thank you.' They held each other's eyes for a second before Gibbs looked away. Oh how he could get lost he the woman's sparkling eyes.

'Alright, have you seen anything?' He asked, going back to business when he judged they had stayed on private matters long enough. She shook her head.

'She's been flirting with just about every guy in the room since she arrived and I haven't seen her stay longer with a specific one. You might want to look out for blond guys though; she seems to have a particular interest in them.'

'That so?'

'Yep.'

Kate felt him brush his hand down her back, following her spine. Her red dress was open in the back and the feather-light contact on her skin made her shiver. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to settle her heart as well as the fluttering in her stomach. It really wasn't the time to linger on the reactions he could get out of her with a simple touch. She then felt his breath against her ear.

'I gotta say, I'm partial to brunettes.' He whispered.

He dropped a kiss right under her ear before pecking her lips once more and moving to the other side of the room, leaving her standing with a big smile on her face. No matter what she did, there was no containing the butterflies that were doing somersaults in her stomach.

The evening went on mostly as it had begun; Kate being harassed men while Gibbs went into coffee withdrawal. When they were finally able to leave, suspect in tow, the first thing he did was order McGee to get him the tallest, darkest coffee he could find. Kate had laughed at that, receiving one of Gibbs' famous glares in return.


	16. Of Mothers and Promising Evenings

Hi guys. I'm very sorry about the long wait I put you through. Truth is, life started again (college…) and I've been very hesitant and reluctant to post this chapter. I make a lot of hypothesizes about Kate's life and I'm a little (okay extremely) nervous about your reaction to this. I hope it doesn't seem too crazy, weird, unrealistical, all of the above.

I might have said that before, but I'll just repeat it because it's useful information in this chapter. I always use the birth dates of actors when we don't know the characters' birthdays. Sasha Alexander was born in 1973 and Mark Harmon1951. (Thanks to Cleavage Queen for pointing out I forgot a little something in this sentence for it to make sense...)

As usual (maybe even more so than usual) let me know what you thought about this chapter. :) Reviews make me happy. I promise I'll post sooner next time (mostly because I really like the next chapter). And even more so if I have a lot of people motivating me.

Enjoy. :)

**Of Mothers and Promising Evenings**

One night, Jethro met Kate's mother.

They were at her place. Kate knew she spent most of her time at Jethro's place and that she would most likely move in someday but she still felt more comfortable at her place. Her mother was a nice woman but slightly uptight when it came to relationships. She would probably not like going into a place whose owner she didn't know, even if he was her daughter's boyfriend – oh, how that term didn't fit Gibbs!

She knew Jethro liked her place but that he would feel trapped if he didn't have his basement to escape to. Nevertheless she had explained that her mother would be more inclined to get to know him if she felt comfortable.

Caitlin had suggested she pick her mother up from the airport but Mrs. Todd had declined, saying she did not want to bother her daughter more than necessary, since it was a working day. Her plane was landing at 1800 so the couple expected her around 1845 – 1900.

Kate was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. She knew her mother had her habits, one being to go to church for every single service known to mankind and another one to always eat at 1900. She had prepared a meal she had already done a few times before and had _not_ learnt from her mother.

She would already hear enough critics over the weekend, going from her job, to her boyfriend, not forgetting her place and her looks. She sighed. She was dreading that weekend and had been since she knew her mother would come and visit.

Jethro was in the living room, sitting on the couch, watching TV, a skeptical look on his face. He had no idea what he was watching and it only served to convince him that he shouldn't get one.

But really, he was watching it to keep his mind off the fact that within thirty minutes the mother of his girlfriend – God, he hated that term; that made him her boyfriend and that sounded **so** wrong – would be knocking on the door. He sighed. Obviously television didn't work. He turned it off and walked to the kitchen, preparing some coffee, ignoring the chuckle and headshake that action earned him.

'Does she really want to meet me?' He asked her back. She looked at him over her shoulder, and smiled sympathetically.

'Not really. But now she knows you exist and that we've been together for nine months. If she doesn't see you she's going to bug me even more than if you're here.' He stood next to her, leaning against the counter while she stirred whatever she was cooking. He took a gulp of his coffee, feeling its calming effects.

'You know, the way you depict her is so reassuring.' He said sarcastically glancing sideways at her. She smiled.

'No, I'm sorry. I love my Mom, I really do. She was always great.' She smiled, then laughed. 'I mean come on, the simple fact that she could deal with three boys and two girls proves that. And I'm telling you, we were something! Anyway, she may be a bit overwhelming; always commenting on my life and my choices and all that bogus, but she was always there for me when I was a girl. She was and is an amazing Mom and I think she tries to get involved so much into my life is because I'm her little girl and I'm far away. She worries about me. I can understand that. There's also the fact that she probably feels lonely. Since my dad passed, she's been all alone. Before that for twenty-eight years there was always at least one of her children and her husband. And then within three years she lost both her youngest one and her husband. It's been really hard on her. She's been lonely since then.'

'So what, she's the devil or an angel?'

'Angel. She's amazing. I'd probably appreciate it a bit more if I weren't almost thirty and perfectly able to deal with my own life.' He cringed.

'Damn, woman, way to remind me of the fact that I'm almost twenty-two years older than you.' She laughed, just as they heard the door bell go off. She walked past him, stroking his chest.

'Don't worry, it will all go perfectly well.' She walked to the door and opened it. 'Hi, mom.' She said hugging her tightly.

'How are you doing darling?'

'I'm good mom. You?'

'I hate flying.'

'I know.'

'So where is that man of yours?' Kate rolled her eyes.

'Kitchen. Come on.'

She took all of her mother's belongings and put them on the couch, hanging her coat and then leading her to the kitchen, where Jethro was still trying to figure out a way to escape, knowing that jumping through the window was not an acceptable solution. He took a last gulp of his coffee, finishing the cup. Maybe he could grow wings before he landed six floors lower.

'Mom, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Jethro, my mom, Mary Todd.' Too late for the jump.

'Good evening, Mrs. Todd. How was your flight?' He said extending his hand. She looked him up and down and shook his hand.

'Well, you're not quite what I was expecting for my daughter, but you seem to have good manners.' That didn't seem so bad… yet.

'Well, thank you. I suppose.'

'How old are you?' She asked suddenly.

'Mom, please.' Kate warned, trying to prevent the massacre.

'Fifty-two.'

'How about we eat, Mom? This is just ready.'

'Alright, I suppose.'

'Go ahead, settle down, we'll be right there.' Kate invited, leading her mother out of the kitchen. She walked back to Jethro, and leaned against him.

'Well, that went smoothly.' He thoughtfully said. She looked up at him as if he had gone crazy.

'Smoothly?'

'Well she didn't ask me what the hell I was doing with you, that I could be your father and that I should leave immediately and never talk to you again.'

'There's that. Alright, let's get this show on the road.'

She kissed him and moved away from him. She took one of the pots, while Jethro grab the other one. They started walking out of the kitchen.

'Caitlin, that couch is in an awful condition, how can you keep it?'

The woman stopped in the doorway, took a deep breath and kept on walking. That would be a promising evening.


	17. Of Care Bears and Empty Beds

Hi guys. I promised I would update sooner this time so here it is. It's a chapter that I like very much and I hope you like it as much as I do. You might notice I don't usually whump Gibbs and I thought for once he should be the one to need some reassurance. Although in a very particular way. You'll see what I'm talking about. I hope Gibbs isn't too OOC but I wanted to explore the side of him that we very rarely see.

Don't forget to leave a little review to tell me what you think. Reviews make me very happy. :D

Enjoy. :)

**Of Care Bears and Empty Beds**

Once, he had just spent four days on his own because she had gone to visit one of her brothers who had just had a baby.

Gibbs was slumbering in the basement under his boat and he had to admit his back hurt. He hadn't slept under the boat in a _long_time and now he was used to sleeping in his warm, soft bed with his warm, soft Kate by his side. The first night, he had decided to go to bed, but upon entering the bedroom and seeing it empty, bed still perfectly made – that had never happened before she got there – he had changed his mind. Sleeping alone would just be way too depressing – if he even could manage to go to sleep without the woman's soft weight on his side and the gentle sound of her breathing to lull him. He had gone back to the basement, poured some bourbon in his coffee cup and continued working on the boat, soon after falling asleep beneath it. The following two nights he hadn't even bothered going upstairs to see if he could sleep. He had just stayed in the basement and slept there.

Which was exactly what he was currently doing when a feminine figure appeared at the top of the stairs. Kate stopped there and shook her head at the sight. She slowly walked down the steps and walked around the boat until she was standing next to where his face was lying. She carefully sat down next to him and reached out to caress his cheek. He immediately stirred and turned his face towards the gentle and familiar touch. He opened his eyes when he smelled his favorite fragrance. He looked up and smiled.

'You're back.'

She laughed. It was just too cute. Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, hair ruffled every which way, sleepy and raspy voice, looking at her as if he had been hoping to see her again but never actually believing that she would be back. Like a little boy would look at his mother after she came back from going away for a few days, promising she would be back soon. The utter amazement and love in his eyes made her heart jump and melt.

He might be older than her, and she might know that he was very much a grown man, there was absolutely nothing he could do against his boyish side which only appeared when he was with her, at his most vulnerable, and which never failed to make her fall even more in love with. Her mother had always said that women fell in love with men they could take care of and protect. How right had she been!

'Of course I am.'

He sat up and reached for her, holding her so tight she was in fact having a hard time breathing. Wow, she had never thought the tough agent would miss her so much. When he pulled back he didn't let her move, looking her over as if assessing for injuries. All he saw was his woman dressed in black jeans and a green sweater. Her hair was untied – just the way he liked it – and slightly wavy. Her face was sporting a grin. When he was absolutely certain the she was fine he leaned in and kissed her. She smiled into the kiss. Oh how she had missed him! Though apparently not as much as he had missed her. When he pulled back he pecked her lips a couple more times before standing up and stretching. He grabbed his cup and downed the last of his now cold coffee, wincing at the bitter taste. Kate looked around and frowned.

'You've been living here for the past four days, haven't you?' She asked in a tone that mixed amazement with accusation, threat with worry. There was the nurturing side again, she silently noted.

'Well this is my house. And I did go to the office.' He said, pretending to be innocent.

'Jethro.' Kate warned.

'Bed was empty.' Gibbs simply said. Kate laughed. He looked up, almost hurt.

'I'm sorry.' She said, trying to hold back her laughter though unable to contain the smile. 'I just never thought you had it in you to look so cute.' His brows shot up in surprise and he mock gasped.

'Did you just call me cute?' She nodded vividly, grinning widely. 'Did you _really_ just call me cute?' He asked again, starting towards her, smiling at the look of fear that crossed her face when she understood what he was up to and it dawned on her that, as cute as a sleeping cub was, you should never push the limits. She started backing away, wincing when she felt the stairwell against her back.

'No. Please Jethro don't.' She begged, pushing back against the wood as much as possible, as if hoping that she would somehow acquire the ability of melting into it.

He only grinned wider. She tried to duck away when he reached her, but to no avail; he had a tight grip on her waist and was already tickling her. She tried to bat his hands away but as always he was taller and stronger, had her backed into a corner and had the advantage of _not_ being tickled.

'No. Please.' She half whimpered half laughed again, withering under his fingers' ministrations. 'Jethro please. I take it back.'

'What do you take back?' He asked.

'You're not cute!' She exclaimed between breaths, still trying to escape the man's very annoying and very deft hands. 'You're not cute.' She repeated. He didn't let her go, enjoying the feel of her squirming body under his hands, her squeals and her laughter.

'Say it again, so we can check you actually understood.' He told her, one hand moving under her shirt to attack the point he knew was the most ticklish one. He heard her gasp and felt the renewed energy she put into escaping, laughing at her desperate attempts to stop the attack.

'You, Jethro Gibbs, are not cute!' She sighed in relief when he stopped tickling her and just stroked her sides up and down. She was still wary though and suspected he would start again any moment.

'There you go. Can't have people think I'm a Care Bear.'

Kate thought he actually was when it came to her but she refrained from voicing that thought. Her abdominal muscles were still hurting and she was still backed against the stairwell, his strong body against hers, his hands on each side of her. Then, all of a sudden she was pulled into his arms, one of his hands between her shoulder blades, under her shirt, the other one on the back of her neck, both holding her tight against him. His face was against the side of her neck, nose nuzzling another ticklish point just behind her ear. She felt a few kisses being dropped there and that was when she realized she was still standing stock still. Her arms moved around his back, one simply circling his waist while the other one mirrored his own, resting between his shoulder blades.

'I missed you so much, Katie.' He whispered against her ear and she once more felt like melting.

'I missed you too.' They held onto each other for a while, until Kate broke the comfortable silence. 'You know what? I'm actually tired. How about we take this upstairs?' He nodded.

Grabbing her hand he lead her to the bedroom, sharing the bathroom with her, standing in front of the mirror with her, hands on her hips, chin on top of her head, bugging her more than once just because she was there to be bugged. Finally they made it to bed. Kate was lying in his arms, dozing off but she didn't miss his last words before falling asleep.

'This bed is so much better when you're in it.' Gibbs admitted, before dropping a kiss on top of her head.

And she went to sleep with a soft smile grazing her features.


	18. Of Guilt and Decisions

Hey there.

I know it's been a while since I posted and I apologize. I am once again very hesitant about this chapter and I was hoping to delay this inevitable. I thought about not posting it and immediately moving on to the next on but I decided to actually post it.

I hope you'll like it. :)

As usual, don't forget to review. :D I promise to update sooner next time.

Enjoy. :)

**Of Guilt and Decisions**

And there was the day she lost her sister.

Gibbs approached her slowly and quietly, not wishing to startle her. She was sitting on the couch, eyes unfocused and he already knew she had probably spent most of the day like that. He doubted she had even made a phone call to her mother and brothers yet.

They were about to get breakfast when her phone had rung. She hadn't recognized the number and, at first, had wanted to ignore the call, but for some reason she had answered. And had gone from a healthy pink to pale, and then deathly white within moments. She had dropped into the nearest chair and sat there dumbfounded while someone called her name from the other end of the line. Her action had scared him, and when she hadn't even tried to get comfort from him after asking 'where' and hanging up, he had known something was terribly wrong. He had called her name softly a couple of times, holding her hand, stroking her cheek and pushing her hair back behind her ear until she finally whispered that her sister had died in a car crash. Tears had fallen and he had pulled her limp and unresponsive body to him. He had accompanied her to the hospital but had soon after been called on a case. Asking if she would be alright, he had kissed her temple and handed her the keys to his car and house.

He sat down besides her and she leaned into him. He circled her small shoulders and held her close.

'How you holding up sweetheart?' She shrugged. He kissed her head. He waited a while until she started talking quietly.

'It happened last night. She was hit by another car. Hit and run. They spent the night trying to keep her alive but there was nothing they could do.' She shuddered. 'She had just arrived from Florida. She had rented a car and was going to a hotel. The police found that in her phone records. She called my place too. Five or six times. Jethro I wasn't there. I was here and I couldn't answer. She doesn't have my new cell number so she couldn't try that. If only she had known where to reach me, and where I would actually be, she wouldn't be dead. The road she was on is nowhere near the route from the airport to my place.' She sniffled.

'Oh, Katie. You can't think like that. This is not your fault. You couldn't have known she would call you.'

'But she's my sister. She's eight years older than me and we never really got along, but still, I know I was listed as her next of kin. She called me and I wasn't there. She's family, she should have known that I spend most of my time here and she should have known that she would reach me better on my cell than at home. I didn't tell her, 'cause we never talked. The one time she needed me, I wasn't there for her.'

She was crying her heart out and Gibbs knew it was the stress of the day being let out. He held her tightly to him, whispering in her ear that it would all be alright, that he loved her and that it wasn't her fault. He knew those words meant nothing and wasn't even sure she could hear them, but really, what else could he say? When he felt her calm down he caressed her back softly, knowing she would probably soon go to sleep and not wanting to keep her from dozing off.

He held her for hours, not moving, except for his hand which rubbed her back every once in a while. He had fallen asleep himself sometime during the night but had woken up when he felt his lover shift in his embrace and whimper slightly. He leaned down and kissed the back of her head and she settled back down. She woke up again around 0400 and looked completely lost, probably having mostly forgotten her outburst the previous night.

'Hey.' He whispered as she looked into his eyes.

Her hair was tousled, her eyes were red and there was a line on her cheek which marked the imprint of a crease in his shirt. She looked like and utterly lost little girl, but she was **his **lost little girl and he thought she looked plain cute like that.

'Hey.'

'How you feelin'?'

'Okay I guess.' He nodded.

'When's the last time you had something to eat?' She concentrated finding the answer but came up empty. 'Stay here. I'll get us something.'

He stood and went to the kitchen, fixing them coffee and toasts. He knew she wouldn't eat more though she probably hadn't eaten anything since the night before the call. He walked back in the living room with a plate and two cups. Once more, she was staring into space, thinking. And once more when he sat down next to her, she leaned against him. She took one cup from him and nibbled slightly on a toast. He nudged her and indicated the toast, pushing her to eat more.

'I don't want this to ever happen again. To have people I love hurt because they couldn't reach me when they needed me.'

'Oh, Katie. Listen to me. This isn't your fault. It would probably have been more convenient for her to be at your place, but she had found a hotel and she hadn't foreseen this accident. It's not as if she knew it would happen and you weren't there to protect her. Sweetheart, it's a terrible thing, but you can't blame yourself. The only person to blame is the one who hit her car. You hear me? This is not your fault.'

'I just don't ever want to feel like that again. If she'd known I would most likely be here, she would have called here.'

'What do you wanna do about that?' He asked.

Last night when she had said she hadn't been home to answer her phone he had been afraid she would come to the conclusion that she should be there more often and leave him.

'Tell people I love where they can reach me. And that they shouldn't be surprised if a man answers.'

'Move in with me.'

It took him a full two seconds after the words were said to realize what he had asked. He thought she even reacted faster than he did. He searched her face for some kind of an answer but found none. She seemed deep in thought and he didn't want to know if that was good or bad. Finally she looked at him.

'Okay.' She agreed smiling. He grinned. 'I mean, we'll probably have to talk to Morrow about that, 'cause two agents with the same address probably won't look so good but okay. I already spend six nights a week here. And the last one we spend at the office. So let's officialize that.'

Damn! He wouldn't even be able to say his own name if asked at that exact moment, but she could produce a speech like that. He did the only thing which would **not** make him appear like the last idiot : he leaned down and kissed her.

They lied down together on the couch and cuddled, until Kate announced that she had to call her family.


	19. Of Choices and Unrelenting Hunts

Hi. :)

I promised I would post this chapter sooner than the previous on so here it is. :) However, I might start withholding chapters. I've received very little reviews lately. Especially in the last chapter. And it's making me quite sad. So pretty please, leave a little review to let me know what you think. It really doesn't take long but it's enough to make me smile for a day. :D

Hope to see plenty of reviews.

Enjoy. :)

**Of Choices and Unrelenting Hunts**

One night she had slept at the office because a case got to her.

Gibbs walked into the bullpen, knowing she would be here. Kate had told him she would stay a little while longer to go over some more facts and that he should go ahead, that she would join him when she was done.

In a way he had known then that if he left he wouldn't see her that night and a voice at the back of his mind had told him that he shouldn't go, shouldn't leave her alone to deal with the demons the case had brought up. Yet he had known that what she needed the most was to feel useful, like she had done something to prevent another kid from being hurt; so he had left, and as predicted she hadn't shown up.

She had probably worked herself to exhaustion until 0300 or 0400 and was certainly asleep at her desk. He knew her back and neck would hurt. Her head too most likely and she would be cranky, tired and restless, yet would not give up and would be determined to find the SOB.

He had known when he had entered the coffee shop that she would need a big dose of caffeine yet he wasn't sure whether he should buy it the way she liked it, to put her in a good mood and make her smile, at least a little bit or if he should take the way he liked it, that would be the most effective and would wake her up better. In the end he had decided Kate wouldn't be able to choose either and bought two black coffees and one with sweetener and milk.

When he finally saw her desk he saw that she was, in fact, still asleep, her face hidden in her arms, facing down towards the desk. Her slim and tight long sleeved shirt showed the bones in her back and he could see the tension in her muscles from where he stood. He shook his head, thinking that she really needed to relax – he wasn't exactly the best one to advise that but well – and put on the weight she had lost in the past few weeks.

She had been driving herself way too hard and he felt guilty for even allowing it to happen and not putting an end to her deadly spiral early enough. He was determined to make her go home and sleep that night. He knew what would happen if he didn't prevent her from keeping going; he had been there, had done that and had witnessed it multiple times. The fact that, this time, it was his Katie-girl who was killing herself over a case broke his heart. He didn't like seeing her like this and he longed for the times when they would wake up together and laugh together.

He approached her desk, walked around it and crouched next to her chair. He for once indulged in some PDA at the office and stroked her back while calling her name. She stirred and moaned, moved a bit and winced, finally opening her eyes. She turned to him and frowned.

'Hey, sweetheart.' Gibbs whispered.

Kate sat up wincing and moaning again. He smiled sympathetically. Sleeping that way had to have done a number on her already tight back-muscles. She pushed her hair out of her face and rubbed her eyes. She then looked at him and tried to offer a smile, which he didn't buy. He put the two coffee cups on her desk and pointed at the first one.

'Dark coffee. The way I drink it. It will wake you up.' She looked skeptically at the cup, as if it would sprout legs, arms and attack her the moment she turned her back and didn't pay enough attention. He pointed at the second cup. 'Milk and sweetener. The way you like it. Thought it would put you in a good mood.' She looked at the cup, him and gave a small but real smile. 'Didn't know which one you would prefer so I got both. Drink either or both, I don't care, just tell me if you don't want the black one, I'd gladly take it.' Her smile grew.

'Thank you. That's sweet.'

She took the first cup and took a gulp, wincing and coughing slightly while he walked to his own desk. She swallowed, took another gulp before firmly and decidedly setting the cup down. She stood up and followed Gibbs. She wordlessly handed him the cup.

'Still don't understand how you can drink that stuff.' She said.

'Takes practice. I'll get you there one day, I promise.' He grinned at her, taking a big gulp of the beverage as she forcibly shuddered.

'I'll be fine, thanks for the offer.' His grin widened.

'You find anything last night?'

'I did. I'm not sure what it means but we'll have to investigate that. It could be nothing but you know how it is.'

'Yep. Wanna tell me now or wait for DiNozzo and McGee to get here? You can go shower and change if you want.'

'Yeah, I'll do that.'

She turned, grabbed her spare from her cupboard and the coffee from her desk and left the bullpen.


	20. Of Bastards and Idiots

I am so sorry for the long wait. I've been crazy busy lately. College and the first exams are starting so I'm spending quite some time studying. And unfortunately I still do not have a lot of inspiration for NCIS right now. I do for other shows such as Sanctuary and Stargate SG1 so I'm sure those of you who like those show are at least quite happy.

Christmas break is coming up but I can't promise I will be posting soon because I will be studying a lot more for exams in January.

Still, I hope you will enjoy this chapter. I like it a lot so I hope you share my opinion. :)

As usual, I hope to see what you thought about this. Leave me a little review on your way out. It would make me very happy.

Enjoy. :)

**Of Bastards and Idiots**

There was the day he was injured.

'You're an idiot!' Kate stated as soon as she had entered his 'room' in the ER. No introduction, no worrying about his condition – at least not obviously. She handed him the cup of coffee she had been holding, which she had brought because she had known he would be even grumpier and crankier if he didn't have his usual dose. She stood next to his bed, just barely out of his reach, hands firmly set on her hips.

'Thanks. I feel great, I'm glad you're alright, too, Katie.' Gibbs shot back sarcastically, taking his first sip of the hot beverage, immediately feeling its effects : soothing his anger at being shot and therefore stuck in a hospital bed.

'How many times have we told you to just wear the goddamn vest?' She asked rhetorically, completely ignoring his comment. He pouted.

'It's uncomfortable.' He argued. And she almost gave in. He **was** hurt and he **was** putting on the innocent-five-year-old-act to which she had never been able to resist.

'Yes, because having a hole in your shoulder is so much more comfortable! We knew what would happen and it would have been over and done with in thirty minutes with absolutely no one injured had you not been your stubborn and thickheaded and overly idiotic self!'

He furrowed a brow at her outburst and looked at her slightly shaking frame. Her hands were still fisted so tight against her hips that her knuckles were white but he noticed the slight twitching she was vainly trying to control. In the same fashion, her arms were tense because she tried to stop the shaking. He looked up at her tense and pale face. Jaw firmly set – oh boy, how her teeth would hurt when she finally calmed down! – breathing slightly faster than usual, shallow and irregular as she tried to settle down and keep the tears at bay.

Finally, her eyes told him all he needed to know. The simple fact that she had been refusing to look at him since she had stopped talking was telling enough. He set the coffee cup down on the table next to the bed and extended his good arm to her, deciding that Katie definitely was way better than coffee; always had been, always would be. And if holding her in his arms could make her feel better as well, who was he to complain?

'Come here.' He whispered.

At first she didn't move, just looked at his hand, and finally, she put her own hand into his and let him pull her forward. He moved over a bit, grimacing and groaning a bit at the sudden pain, and pulled her down on the bed. This time she didn't resist. She immediately laid down, pressed against him, head lying on his uninjured shoulder. He felt her small hand grip tightly at his hospital gown and his arm circled her thin shoulders, holding her close, feeling her shaking body and a few wet tears on the skin of his neck. For a while they didn't say anything.

Kate kept silent, just feeling his body against hers, confirming that he was, indeed, very much alive, if not alright just yet. The familiar sensations she felt at being held by him, smelling his unique smell, touching his warm chest and abdomen, helped her calm down. He, on the other hand, pondered. He could feel the tension in every single muscle in her body and he had to admit that her reaction to his injury actually scared him. It made him think about, for once, listening to someone telling him not to try any heroics. Finally, he was the one to break the silence as well as one of his rules.

'I'm sorry, Katie.' She looked up at his face startled. His features were completely sincere, though he would later blame his apology and regretful tone on the drugs running through his veins at the time. She smiled slightly.

'I was scared.' Kate admitted. 'When I saw you go down I was… terrified.'

'I know. I didn't mean to scare you. It wasn't supposed to go that way.'

'No it wasn't. You weren't supposed to play hero, much less without a vest on. You do realize that you got off easy today? It could have been much worse.'

'I know.' Gibbs kissed her forehead and stroked her back softly.

'Will you do something for me?' He heard her whisper quietly

'Anything.'

'Will you wear the vest next time? Please?' If the tone of her voice wasn't his undoing, the look in her eyes when she asked him pretty much finished the job.

'Okay.' The surprise that appeared on her face at the answer actually made him feel guilty. Was it really that surprising that he was willing to **not** die just because she had asked?

'Really?' He nodded and kissed her lips gently. 'Promise?'

'I promise, Katie, I'll wear the vest.' She smiled.

'Thank you.' She settled her head back on his shoulder and let her hand roam over his abdomen, the comforting touch helping them both. 'You're still an idiot.' She quietly said before kissing his neck. 'You should know by now that I am right every once in a while.' He chuckled, wincing again, earning a worried glance from the woman in his arms when his chuckle turned into a groan. He shot her a reassuring smile.

'You're right more often than that, you know.'

'Doesn't matter. It wasn't the point.' They both grew quiet for a long while, just enjoying the other's touch, listening to their respective breathing. After a while, Gibbs realized something.

'Hey, Kate?' He asked, his finger poking her ribs a couple of times, making her wiggle slightly to make him stop.

'Yeah?'

'If I'm an idiot, does it mean I'm not a bastard anymore?' She laughed and he smiled, squeezing her against his side.

'Nah, you're not a bastard.'

'That's not what I've been told.' He mock pouted. 'Does it mean I'll have to change my name and get rid of the second 'b'?'

'Just when you're with me.' She grinned innocently.

'Ah, now I see there's an ulterior motive to the compliment. Can't have you only think I'm a warm, cuddly Care Bear. Now, hand me my coffee, would you? I'm thirsty.' Kate gasped, and slapped his abdomen.

'Bastard.'

'There you go.'


	21. Of Bras and Coffee Spills

Hey guys.

I am so very sorry for the super long delay since the last chapter. I have had a lot of inspiration lately but unfortunaly, absolutely none for NCIS, no matter how much I still ship Kibbs. So I have written a lot but, again, nothing for NCIS so this story will very soon be coming to an end and I4m afraid I'm going to have to improvise something to make it less abrupt than it is right now.

Bottom line : I AM SORRY!

Please forgive me and accept this little peace offering which I really hope you will like. I have absolutely no recollection where it came from but it seemed like a good idea at the time as I don't think it's been done (much) before. So here goes. I like the result and I hope you will too.

Please let me know what you think about this. I know I may have disappointed you but I really need the reassurance that people are still reading and liking this story. And more than ever I need ideas so if you have got any, please share.

(Mariana : your request is in the next chapter :P)

Enjoy. :)

**Of Bras and Coffee Spills**

One day she got burnt.

Kate was walking towards the elevator to go down to see Abby. Just as she arrived by the machine, its doors opened and out came DiNozzo, almost running. He slammed into Kate, two of the three cups of coffee he had been juggling pouring their contents over his colleague's chest. She yelped, both at the sudden violent contact and at the scalding sensation she felt as soon as the very hot beverages touched her skin. Unwanted and unexpected tears sprung to her eyes as she held her breath and bit her lip to keep from crying out again. She didn't hear Tony's swearing, nor felt his free hand on her forearm.

'Kate? You okay?' She finally heard as the buzzing in her ears dissipated and the burning feeling intensified. More tears spilled from her eyes as she closed them and tightened her jaw, trying to hold the tears back and control the pain.

'No.' She groaned through gritted teeth. Suddenly, she felt warm and soft hands on her back.

'Bathroom. Go.' Gibbs softly ordered from behind her, gently pushing her in the right direction. Once she was gone, he turned back to DiNozzo, shooting him the iciest glare the Italian had ever seen and most certainly been on the receiving end of. 'You're late, DiNozzo!' He barked.

'I know, boss. Alarm clock didn't go off. Won't happen again.' The agent stuttered, barely holding back an apology, knowing it would only anger Gibbs even more. He handed him the only cup of coffee he was still holding. Gibbs grabbed it violently, immediately taking a huge gulp.

'Go to your desk, we have a case.' He simply said before following Kate down the hallway.

He didn't even think before entering the ladies' room. There were too little women on their floor for any of them to be inside. And even if there were, he really didn't care. As soon as he was inside, he saw Kate leaning over a sink, blouse lying forgotten next to it, revealing the red, scalded skin she was currently trying to cool down with wet paper towels. He walked over and from over her shoulder looked down at the delicate and sensitive skin. He reached for her shoulder, leaning around her body to set the cup by the sink and gently turning her around. When she was facing him, he pulled her hand away from her chest and looked down, wincing when he saw the real extend of the damage.

The usually pale skin of her chest was bright red and obviously extremely painful. And he realized, sadly, that his favorite bra was most likely ruined. The wet paper towel in her hand wasn't cold anymore so Gibbs reached for another one, wet it with water as cold as possible. He then put it against her chest where it was burnt the worst, his other hand stroking her side in slow, soothing motions, which he hoped would divert her attention, though he thought it was very doubtful that the trick would work. He looked up at her face, slowly and gently dabbing the injured skin.

'Does it hurt?' He asked softly.

'Yes. But I'll live.' She smiled. 'I'll need another shirt to wear though. This blouse is probably ruined and there is no way I'm going out there only wearing my bra.' He nodded slowly.

'Yeah. And I'm not letting you go out like that either. Most definitely not in front of DiNozzo and most definitely not after he scalded you'

'He didn't do it on purpose.' She defended, knowing that he was angrier than necessary and even though she didn't really feel like defending Tony, she knew he didn't deserve all the anger he would undoubtedly be on the receiving end of for an as yet undetermined length of time. 'Sure he was late and running while holding coffee cups, but still, it could have happened to anyone.' She winced when the wet paper touched a particularly soft spot.

'He hurt you.'

'He didn't mean to.' She countered.

'You gonna be okay?' Gibbs asked pulling the by-now warm paper away. She nodded. For a little while he kept putting cold wet paper towels to her chest, hoping to limit the pain and the damage done to her sensitive skin. 'Need more water?' He finally asked.

'Nah. I'll be fine. Thank you.' He grabbed her hips, leaned down and softly kissed the middle of her chest, just grazing her skin with his lips so as not to hurt her more. She smiled and squeezed his arm. She frowned when he started to take off his jacket, setting it next to his coffee cup, by the sink, then removed his shirt, leaving him in his undershirt. He handed her the discarded shirt. She simply looked at it, then back at him. 'As much as I like wearing your shirts, I'm not about to do so at work.'

'What are you going to wear then?'

'I have spear clothes by my desk.'

'My shirt will hurt less. It's bigger and won't touch your chest as much as your tight shirts. As lovely as they are, I think right now they probably wouldn't be such a good idea.'

'Alright, point taken.' She agreed, grabbing the shirt from his hands and putting it on.

'Take your bra off.' He said, dead serious.

'What?' Kate exclaimed, almost offended.

'You can't spend the day wearing a coffee-stained bra.' She kept on glaring before realizing that, once more, he was right. Suddenly, a twinkle appeared in her eyes.

'Shouldn't that be your fantasy? Coffee on me, with your favorite bra?' Gibbs laughed and leaned forward.

'Not like that, sweetheart. But I promise I'll show you someday.' He whispered suggestively in her ear before kissing her cheek and her smiling lips, lingering on the soft skin.

Gibbs was surprised when she deepened the kiss but didn't complain and let her set the pace, moaning slightly as her tongue prodded its way into his mouth. They pulled back from each other after a little while, both slightly embarrassed that they had let it go this far in such a potentially dangerous place.

'Come on now, take it off and get back to your desk.' He told taking his jacket and coffee cup and leaving the ladies' bathroom in nothing but his undershirt, as if nothing were out of the ordinary with such a sight.


End file.
